The grandeur of the Mississippi State Bulldog High School Invitational didn”t get to Korey Wilson.
With more than 40 squads competing in MSU”s first prep meet at the refurbished Maddox Track Facility, there were plenty of distractions Saturday, so it was easy for someone to get lost.
Wilson discovered he fit right in.
Competing against some of the biggest schools in the state and the region, the West Lowndes High School junior finished third in the shot put with a mark of 14.4 meters (47 feet, 3 inches). Pearl High senior Kyle Bynum took second (14.47) to Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Central junior Devon Lockett (14.57).
For his accomplishment, Wilson is The Dispatch”s Prep Player of the Week.
“This is going to help me get prepared and tell me what I need to do when I go to state,” said Wilson, who was seventh last year at the Class 2A state meet (39-2 1/2) and second at the Class 2A North State meet (38-7 1/2).
West Lowndes track and field coach Bobby Berry piped in at that moment and emphasized Wilson just doesn”t want to go to the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 2A state meet, he wants to win it.
Wilson said his effort Saturday showed him he can accomplish that goal. His best mark came on his second throw.
“I believe in myself and I know I can do it,” Wilson said.
Wilson”s confidence comes from plenty of training in the weight room. Without a track to practice on, Wilson hones his technique in a smaller than usual circle on the football practice field. Berry said he made the circle smaller on purpose to help his shot putters cut down on their fouls, or the times their feet come outside of the circle after they complete their glide or spin.
Wilson acknowledged it was difficult to stay focused Saturday because there was something going on everywhere he looked. He said his ability to concentrate on his work and to find a calm moment in his head helped him block everything else out.
“I just wanted to do my best and to give it my all,” said Wilson, who plays defensive end and offensive tackle on the football team. “If I would have trained harder I would have gotten first.”
Wilson plans to get back in the weight room and to do as much as he can so he can make up the difference between first and third. He thanked all of his coaches and friends for their support in helping him get to this point, but he said he isn”t satisfied. As much as his performance Saturday proved to him he can compete for a state title, Wilson said he had those thoughts at the beginning of the season. Now, he said, it is time to invest the time and hard work needed to realize those goals.
Berry said Wilson has the potential and the ability to get there.
“He has been concentrating and working hard in the weight room,” Berry said. “He has had more of a concerted effort, and that comes from maturity and age and wanting to improve yourself.”
Consider Wilson”s third-place showing at MSU just the first step in a journey that started when he was in ninth grade.
“I was surprised I did so well because there were so many people out there from big schools,” Wilson said. “I was relieved because I did something and I pushed past being afraid of not doing well.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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