Collier among best in nation

When she was in the fifth grade, Madison Collier tossed a discus and a shot for the very first time.

Just a few years later, she’s not only among the best in the state in those track and field events, but among the best in the nation.

Collier recently wrapped up a tremendous spring with yet another strong showing at the 44th annual Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.

There she won the discus and took third in the shot put as she competed against some of the best throwers in this region of the United States.

“I felt pretty good about it,” Collier said. “I definitely improved from when I competed there last year.”

It’s been a whirlwind year - more like a couple of them - for Collier, who recently finished up her sophomore season at Hennessey High School.

During her high school season, Collier repeated as the Class 3A champion in the discus and was again the bronze medalist in the shot.

At state, Collier set a meet record in the discus with a throw of 148 feet, 11 inches.

“When I released it, I knew it was good, but I didn’t know it would be that far,” she said of the winning and record-breaking throw. “I got really excited because I knew I had beaten the state meet record.”

Collier backed that up a week later by sweeping the two throwing events at the Oklahoma Track Coaches Association Meet of Champions for the second straight year.

It was at that meet - as a freshman - that she set her own personal record in the discus with a heave of 150-4.

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“You can feel it when you let it go,” Collier said. “It has to be just right and close to perfect…and you kind of know.”

It’s that kind of distance that has her rated by some publications as the best in the country for the Class of 2021.

She backed that up earlier this month at the Great Southwest.

There she threw 140-0 - twice - to best runner-up Makenzie Williams of Missouri by more than five feet. It was almost two feet further than she threw there a year ago, when she placed third.

In the shot put, Collier let loose with a throw of 49-9 3/4.

Cierra Jackson of Arizona won the event by throwing exactly 1 foot further. Lashunda Tapp of Missouri was one inch better than Collier.

Collier was seventh in the event in 2018 as she improved on last year’s throw by more than 10 feet.

Such results are the product of Collier’s work ethic.

While she has attended throwing camps, she also spends a lot of time on her own perfecting her crafts.

“There’s a lot of practicing and working out,” she said. “It takes a lot of self discipline. A lot of ‘practice makes perfect.’”

That’s what Collier’s been doing since first taking up the throwing events about five years ago.

“About two years into it, I realized I might have a chance to be pretty good,” she said. “I just started jumping up in my distances and thought I could be really good at this if I just keep throwing.”

Kept throwing she did and it’s led her to state championship gold and regional glory.

“It’s been an exciting ride, especially these first two years of high school,” said her father, Richard Collier. “We’re very proud to say the least.”

Division I schools can’t start contacting Collier until next year, but several have made it known through other channels that they’ll be interested in her services. In the meantime, she’ll continue to work and prepare for the indoor season next January, which leads to the outdoor season of her junior year.

“I can’t wait to see where it all takes me,” she said.