THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bentonville High School Athletics

BENTONVILLE -- Bryant Parlin has spent much of his time this spring in pursuit of the state high school shot put record, but he always knew there was one good discus throw inside of him, just waiting to be launched. That throw finally came out two weeks ago during the Kansas Relays. The Bentonville High senior let the discus fly on his final attempt, and the result was a throw that went 189 feet, 10.75 inches -- a distance that surpassed the current Class 6A state record and the overall state record. "I've been consistent in my training for discus," Parlin said. "I could throw one out in the 170s, even the upper 170s, now and then. I was hitting my positions correctly and consistent every time. In Kansas, I was feeling a good groove, like I could toss one out there. I didn't think it would go that far. "Throughout that whole series, there was one simple thing I was trying to focus on, and I was hitting it with those throws. On that last throw, I really wanted to focus on that one thing, and I hit it perfectly. Once it left my hand, I knew I had to watch it. I was so excited, I had to run over to the scoreboard to watch as they measured it." Now Parlin has two chances to set those state records over the next nine days. The first opportunity comes today during the Class 6A state meet, which will be held along with the Class 5A state meet at Lake Hamilton High School near Pearcy. If he's unsuccessful, he'll get another opportunity at the same place May 11 during the Meet of Champs. He needs to match or surpass his Kansas Relays throw to own the 6A state mark of 185-0 set by Jessie Williams of Cabot in 1985 and the overall state mark of 187-11 set by Bobby McDaniels of Crossett in 1985. Meanwhile, he needs to put a little more on his personal-best in the shot put -- a toss of 63-9.75 at the Cyclone Relays last month in Russellville -- to break the 6A state and overall mark of 65-10.75 set by Paul White of Russellville in 1974, one of the oldest state records listed. Meanwhile, Bentonville boys track coach Mike Power knows that if Parlin does what he's done all year, his team will be guaranteed 20 points toward a state title. He's undefeated in the state, and nobody has come close to him all year during meets held in the state borders. "The throws have been an area where we're consistently looking at," Power said. "The good thing is Bryant loves those events and he loves the sport. He's brought that love into his training and into his competition, trying to get better as an athlete. "It's helped the team and put points on the board for us. I just wish there was another throwing event I could put him in -- maybe the javelin. " Parlin's improvement did come with a price to pay. He chose to quit football, where he played on the offensive line, following his junior year in order to fully concentrate on track. It allowed him to put on 40 pounds and change his weightlifting routine in order to fit what he would do with the shot put and the discus. As a result, he's now throwing the shot put more than 11 feet farther and the discus more than 30 feet farther than he did last year when he won both events at the Class 7A state meet in Bryant. It also earned him a track scholarship as he signed a national letter of intent with Oklahoma. "That was super-hard to quit football," Parlin said. "I've been playing it since third or fourth grade. It was hard, but I knew I made the right decision in order to better myself in the ring. It has 100 percent helped me because of the weight I gained and the huge gains in the weight room. That has helped." He's used that improvement to continually make throws that he's never done before. Now Parlin will use the next few days to throw the shot put and the discus farther than any other Arkansas high school athletes has done. Power wouldn't mind it if Parlin gets a few breaks, particularly with the weather, over the next few days. "The discus, he's been waiting for that one and he hasn't had a good opportunity to do it," Power said. "In the Kansas Relays, the wind was there and the competition was there. The right atmosphere was there that he could throw that 189 feet. He's still striving to get better, and he's not finished there. "The shot put, he's worked hard in the weight room and worked hard on his technique. He's refined his spin technique, which is added extra feet. If it happens, it happens. Records are made to be broken, but sometimes the weather isn't there or the feeling isn't there. The thing with Bryant, though, is he'll give it his best shot."

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bentonville High School Athletics

BENTONVILLE'S PARLIN NOW EYES TWO STATE RECORDS

HENRY APPLE

Arkansas Online | 5/3/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Shupe