Current conditions unavailable
During a mid-July football drill, incoming Tenino High School junior and Beavers running back and linebacker Parker Minerich made a cut and felt a crunch in his left foot.
Immediate fear rushed over his mind. The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse.
Minerich, a standout discus thrower for the Beavers track team, had recently finished first in discus in both the Pacific Northwest Association Junior Olympics in Tacoma and the Regional Junior Olympics in Spokane.
He was about a week away from traveling to Savannah, Georgia, for the National Junior Olympics, a step that was pegged at the top of his goal list since last summer when he placed sixth at regionals, one spot shy of qualifying for nationals.
“I kind of pushed through it. I was like, ‘I can’t be hurt. I have nationals coming up,’” Minerich said. “It got to the point where I couldn’t even throw.”
Minerich learned he had a torn tendon in his left foot. Just attempting to practice his spin and form hurt, and he had no balance in the ring, so he wasn’t practicing a week prior to nationals.
But going into the national championships, he was worried about how he would perform, not if he would perform. He wanted to prove he was one of the best throwers in the country in the age 15-16 division.
Minerich’s foot continued to hurt as he touched down in Georgia, and his concerns for his ability to compete swelled. On July 25, Minerich stepped into the ring in 95-degree heat, although he said it felt like 110 degrees down on the field. What happened next, he said, was a miracle.
“Once I stepped in the ring, I felt barely any pain in my foot,” Minerich said.
He fouled his first attempt and chucked his next one 132 feet and 3 inches down the field. That distance matched his first-place throw at the Pacific Northwest Association Junior Olympics, but he knew more would be required in order to compete for a personal record or a medal.
Minerich’s third and final throw was perfect from the release, he said. He knew it was a big toss, but he wasn’t certain how big until the official read the digits.
144 feet, 1 inch. A new personal best by over a foot. Minerich placed 11th with that throw, which was the best of any competitor in Washington state competing in the 15-16 division and second-best on the West Coast.
“I always wanted to compete at a national level, and it was a great opportunity for me to show my skills at the national level and represent Tenino,” Minerich said. “I was able to clear my head before throwing. I struggled with getting in my head before I threw in the past. Once I got in the ring, I knew that I belonged there and took care of business.”
Minerich’s confidence is at an all-time high after the summer trilogy of competitions. Although the spring track season won’t begin for another seven months, he has his eyes locked on placing at the state championships and reaching 160 feet, a mark no Beaver has hit in 17 years and only two throwers have ever hit in program history.
“It proves that I’m able to compete at those big meets like the Oregon Relays and state. It’s going to give me a lot of confidence going into junior year when I go to those big meets, knowing that I can compete no matter the conditions.”
