Bishop’s Wyatt Miears Finishes National Runner-Up in Discus at Junior Olympic Championships

Bishop’s Wyatt Miears Finishes National Runner-Up in Discus at Junior Olympic Championships

BISHOP, Calif. — Bishop Union High School sophomore Wyatt Miears closed out his 2026 track and field season with the biggest accomplishment of his young career, earning National Runner-Up honors in the 15–16 Boys Discus at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Norwalk, California.

With his second-place finish, Miears earned Junior Olympic All-American recognition while competing against the top young discus throwers in the United States.

The top eight finishers in the national championship represented some of the strongest throwing states in the country:

1. Michael Stinson – South Carolina
2. Wyatt Miears – California
3. Carter Bougard – Texas
4. Blake Buckler – Arizona
5. Braydon Hass – Texas
6. Elijah Beckes – Illinois
7. Erickson Levy – Massachusetts
8. Preston Richardson – California

Finishing second in a field that featured athletes from seven different states underscores the level of competition Wyatt faced and solidified his place among the nation’s elite youth discus throwers.

Standing on the national podium was the culmination of a season defined by commitment, perseverance, and countless hours of hard work.

From the first competition on March 7 through the conclusion of the Junior Olympic Championships, Wyatt and his family traveled approximately 6,781 miles across California, Nevada, and Oregon in pursuit of the highest level of competition available. Every mile represented another opportunity to improve, another chance to compete against elite athletes, and another step toward reaching the national stage.

“Most people see the medal,” said Coach Rich Miears. “They don’t see the thousands of miles on the road, the early mornings, the late nights, and the sacrifices it takes to compete at this level. Nearly 7,000 miles of travel, months of training, and countless hours of preparation all led to this moment. Wyatt earned every bit of this accomplishment.”

The journey didn’t end when the Junior Olympics were over.

Less than 24 hours after returning home from Southern California, Wyatt competed in Bishop Union Football’s annual Lift-A-Thon, where he broke the school’s all-time squat record with an incredible 505-pound squat. The record-breaking lift came after months of competition and immediately demonstrated that his focus had already shifted toward preparing for football season.

Although the 2026 track season has officially come to an end, Wyatt’s athletic year is far from over.

This fall, he will compete for the varsity quarterback position for the Bishop Union Broncos before turning his attention back to track and field after football season concludes.

In December, Wyatt will begin his indoor season in Reno, Nevada, opening preparations for what he hopes will be another memorable year in the throwing circle.

His sights are already focused on the future.

The 2027 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships are scheduled to be held in Houston, Texas, where Wyatt hopes to qualify in the 17–18 age division and once again compete against the nation’s best while proudly representing Bishop, California.

Making another trip to the national championships will require months of preparation, continued hard work, and significant travel. Like many elite youth athletes, competing at the national level also requires financial support from family, sponsors.

For many athletes, finishing as a National Runner-Up would be the pinnacle of a career.

For Wyatt Miears, it is simply motivation to keep working.

With football season about to begin, indoor competition just a few months away, and Houston on the horizon next summer, Bishop’s hometown thrower has already set his sights on the next challenge. If his sophomore season proved anything, it’s that hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to chase the best competition can take an athlete from a small town in the Eastern Sierra all the way to the national podium.