BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ZACH McWHORTER, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER
You’d be wrong to assume Zach McWhorter became a pole vaulter simply because his dad was a pole vaulter.
The younger McWhorter enjoys all sports and he played baseball, soccer, basketball, and football before turning to the activity his father, Richard, excelled in at BYU.
“I didn’t hear a lot about what my dad did and we didn’t have a pole vault pit when I was growing up,” McWhorter said. “I played all the sports and it helped me to become a better pole vaulter. Something like the hand-eye coordination you need to swing a baseball bat is a big help in pole vaulting.”
McWhorter is now setting records as a junior in his chosen field. He’s the owner of the Class 7A record after clearing 16 feet, 9 inches in the state meet at Conway. He later cleared 17-1.25 in a bid to break the state overall mark, but he bounced on the mat in celebration and likely caused the bar to fall.
“In the summer, I’m going to work on longer poles and, hopefully, get stronger, faster, and even taller,” McWhorter said. “So next year, as a senior, I want to get 18 feet. There’s been less than 10 people to clear 18 feet in high school, so that’s definitely something I’d like to do.”
McWhorter, 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, will pole vault in college like his father, who cleared 17-9 at BYU in 1992. Zach McWhorter has already been contacted by a handful of schools, including two in the SEC and Big 12, and BYU and the Air Force Academy.
“I’d like to sign with a college in the fall, but I’m very much undecided at this point,” he said. “I’m going to keep training hard and see what happens.”
BOYS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
CAMREN FISCHER, FAYETTEVILLE
Camren Fischer took up distance running on a competitive level just two short years ago. When Fischer stepped up to test his skills on the track against high school competition for the first time this season, he wasn’t sure at first how well he would stack up.
But right away, Fischer found out his running skills were as good — if not better — than most of the rest.
“I knew I was pretty decent in junior high,” Fischer said. “But I was expecting a bigger difference between the seniors and me this year. It was pretty surprising to me.”
After two standout years in cross country and track at Woodland Junior High, Fischer wasted no time tearing up the scene as a freshman at Fayetteville. The ninth grader finished as the Class 7A state runner up in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600.
Fischer also ran a leg on Fayetteville’s 4x800 relay team which took first place at state and his 3,200 meter time of 9:50.08 was the state’s second-best time in the state overall the entire outdoor season.
“I just want to do the best I can and try to get first,” Fischer said. “As I look back on the year I was pretty satisfied with what I did.”
BOYS RUNNER OF THE YEAR
PAYTON COPHER, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER
It’s not often an athlete finishes his sophomore season as impressively as Payton Copher.
Copher led Springdale Har-Ber to a second-place finish in the Class 7A state meet when he won the 100-meter dash (10.93), placed second in the 200 (22.31), and ran a leg on a 4X100 relay team that took first place (42.78). Fayetteville won the championship with Har-Ber second and Cabot third.
“I ended last year at 11.14 in the 100, so I just tried all year to get faster and faster,” Copher said. “I made it my goal to win a state championship and coach (Wayne) Hall said ‘let’s do it.’ I picked up my conditioning every week and worked on my speed and technique.”
Copher put in the work when he arrived at practice at 3:10 p.m. and didn’t leave until after 6 p.m. But hard work is nothing new for Copher, who finished fourth in the 200 and sixth in the 100 at the Meet of Champions.
Copher also competed at quarterback in the spring after starting 13 games at safety last season for the Wildcats. If he wins the job, Copher will give Har-Ber a breakaway threat at quarterback with his running ability.
“Football’s my sport,” Copher said. “I’ve loved it since I was in the fifth grade. I picked up track in the eighth grade as a window where I can develop my speed. I love track, but football is what I want to do in college.”
ALL-NWADG TRACK AND FIELD
BOYS
RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Payton Copher Springdale Har-Ber Class 7A state champ in the 100, state runner-up in the 200 and ran a leg on state champion 4x100 relay team.
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Zach McWhorter Springdale Har-Ber Broke the Class 7A state meet record in the pole vault (16-10). Cleared outdoor personal-best 16-11 in April.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Camren Fischer Fayetteville Class 7A state runner-up in 3,200, third in the 1,600. Ran leg on the state champion 4x800 relay team.