The throw put Wimpy — who had briefly fallen to third behind Ware County’s Kelsey Chandler (131-10) — back into second, a spot that she would remain as South Paulding’s Jianna Williams won the Class AAAA discus championship with a throw of 137.
Afterward, however, there was no reason for Wimpy to hang her head after a track and field career that featured two runner-up finishes in the discus and one state title at the GHSA girls state meet.
The eight points she earned for her second-place finish put Woodland in a three-way for 13th place with Warner Robins and Douglas County.
“We just told her we were proud of her,” Lady Wildcats coach David Holloway said, noting that Wimpy broke her own school record with her throw. “Anytime they go out and do their best, that’s all we ask for. She was more consistent than the other girl, but sometimes that’s how it happens. We were really proud that she decided to come out [this season] even though she [had already] signed her softball scholarship.”
Wimpy did not make it to the podium in her other state-qualifying event — the shot put, which Williams also won, with a throw of 44-4 1/2.
Of Woodland’s state qualifiers, Wimpy’s second-place performance was the only finish in the top eight, although the 4x100-meter relay team as well as freshman Idraiah Thompson, who is on that team, ran their best times of the season.
Thompson qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, which she won and placed second in, respectively, during region. At the state meet, she ran a 12.65 in the 100 for seventh and a 25.70 for sixth in the 200, missing out on the finals in both events.
“Her 100 time was a little off — she had a little trouble getting out the blocks — but that’s the first time she’s had that much competition,” Holloway said of Thompson. “Her 200, she did really well. She ran her best time, set a school record. She almost made the finals; she was real close.”
In the 4x400 relay, Thompson was joined by Renee Arnold, Tiana Bush and Jasmin Askew as the team ran its best time of the season — 49.62 — to make up for a disappointing second-place finish at region, where it ran a 50.37. But the Lady Wildcats finished eighth in their heat and did not make it to the finals of the event.
“They did really well. We ran probably our fastest time of the year and [we did it] in lane 8, and that’s pretty hard to do in lane 8,” Holloway said. “We were very pleased because we have a couple of freshmen and a junior on the relay [team], so we’re gonna have a lot of people back.”
The Woodland coach pointed out that there were a lot of quality times posted by other relay teams.
If not for some trouble at the region meet, the Lady Wildcats’ relay team could have had a better chance at an even lower time.
“The finals of region, they didn’t have a lot of clean exchanges,” Holloway said. “[We told them] next time you got to make sure you do everything you can to get first at region so you can run in the lane you want to run in.”
With Thompson leading the way, the relay team has a legitimate chance to return to state.
“We’re very, very happy because she’s doing a great job,” Holloway said. “[This has been an] outstanding performance for a freshman, to make it to three events. That may be the best that a freshman has ever done for us.”