HENDERSON — Lowry High School senior Bryan Terry has been waiting a year for the moment he experienced this past weekend at the NIAA State Track and Field Championships at Foothill High School in Henderson.
Terry finished fourth in the shot put at the championships in 2016 and did not qualify for the discus. He put in the hours of work following those state championships and became a two-time state champion in the shot put and discus this year.
“It is the best right now — I don’t even have words,” Terry said. “I have been picturing this moment since December when football season was over. I put the work in and since my junior season ended, this is all I wanted to do.”
Before the state championships began, Terry got an early look at the shot put ring on Thursday night and noticed it was not centered. He made some adjustments and won the event on the second of his six throws. He saved his best for last, throwing 51 feet, 8 inches to beat Mojave’s Don Phillips be nearly three feet. Cheyenne’s Cajuin Jackson was third at 46-5.25.
Earlier in the season Terry broke the school record in the discus that was held by Pat McDade for over 30 years. Even though hew could not eclipse the record again, he left southern Nevada as the champion.
Terry knocked one of his rivals in the process, defeating Churchill County’s TJ Mauga. Mauga had gotten the best of Terry the last couple weekends, including at the regional championships the week before the state meet.
After fouling on his first two attempts, Terry moved into second place with a throw of 131-2. Terry took the lead for good on his fifth throw at 156-0 to surpass Pahrump Valley’s Jeremy Albertson at 146-6. Mauga turned out to be a non-factor, placing third at 145-11.
“It felt great to beat him (TJ) today,” Terry said. “I just came into the weekend and wanted to have fun since it was my last one. It feels so good right now.”
