By Paul Meadors | Sports Editor
paulmeadors@gmail.com
@paulmeadors
The fact that Jonah Wilson won a gold medal at the 2017 CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium wasn’t a surprise – it was the event that was the shocker.
Wilson, the Clovis senior and state record holder in the discus at 221-5, finished a disappointing third in his signature event at 198-2, but a few hours later redeemed himself in winning the shot put with a throw of 65-2¾, besting cousin and event favorite Jacob Wilson’s 63-8. Jacob settled for silver.
“I’m stoked, I did not expect to come out here and throw a PR (personal best) and ultimately win the state championship,” said Jonah Wilson, the winning throw coming on his fourth attempt. “I put some things together and it ultimately happened.”
After his discouraging showing at the discus where he barely qualified for the finals on the last of his three attempts (12 throwers are cut down to nine), Wilson sat dejected on a bench behind the discus backstop.
But the University of Washington bound made atonement a few hours later.
“I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Wilson in answer to whether he thought he would win shot put and not discus. “Discus is definitely my event but I’ll take a first in an event like the CIF State Championships.”
For cousin Jacob Wilson, who threw a state leading 66-5½ on May 10 at the North Area Meet, it was a disappointing day but one not without perspective and grace.
“I had a rough day today starting in the discus with a lot of fouls and then over in the shot put where my release just wasn’t right,” said Jacob, a UCLA signee who missed the podium in the discus with a 7th place finish. “In hindsight there isn’t really much I could’ve done differently – my throws went where they were going to go.
“I am proud that I have been given the opportunity to compete in such a great meet and represent the people I love while doing so. And it’s just another meet in my career and this definitely is not the last time people will hear my name.”
Pole vault extraordinaire and crowd favorite Brooke Tjerrild of Clovis North took home a silver with a personal best 13-6, second only to Anaheim-Canyon’s Rachel Baxter’s 14 feet. Baxter is the national record holder at 14-4 and had three attempts at 14-5 but came up short.
“At the beginning of the day I just set out to do the best I could and really to improve on what I placed last year,” said Tjerrild, who placed 5th at the state meet in 2016. “To improve on a new PR and place higher met all my expectations and exceeded them. I’ve never been happier to win second place.”
The Cal Poly-bound and 2017 Clovis North Female Athlete of the Year attempted 14 feet three times but couldn’t get over the bar. It was a height that she had never attempted before, even in practice.
And how to celebrate a state silver: “I have to get some desserts – I haven’t had dessert in a while.”
Clovis West sophomore Elizabeth Funk medaled in sixth place at 12-6.
In the team competition Clovis High boys finished in fourth place with 20 points, mainly due to the efforts of Jonah Wilson but was helped with a 5th place finish in the 800 from junior Andrew Scherf’s 1:52.34.
“I can’t say I’m disappointed but it really felt good running a 152.53,” said Scherf. “I ran a really bad first lap and got boxed in a lot so I was just trying to hold on that final 100. I was really happy with how I finished today.”
In all, six Clovis Unified athletes medaled including Clovis North senior high jumper Jacob Veres at 6 feet, 5 inches.
Home to the state meet since 2009, CIF announced that Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan will continue to host the event through the year 2020. This year saw approximately 16,000 fans attend the two-day event with over 400 volunteers making it one of the classiest track and field events in the country.