OUTSTANDING PLAYER: GIRLS TRACK.............

WHY SHE WON:

At the sound of the starter pistol, Hamburg High School junior sprinter Tiana Wilson explodes out of her blocks, determined to outwork each competitor to cross the finish line first. Along with defeating her competition, the 16-year-old phenom looks to improve on her time each time she takes her mark. “I want to get stronger and better, both mentally and physically,” she said. “I want to lower my times and break multiple records.” That determination is what earned her the title of All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year in Girls Track for 2017. Wilson is a three-time state champion in the 100-meter dash and a two-time state champion in the 200-meter dash, and she added a 400-meter-dash title to her collection this past year. She won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races at the 4A state meet, as well as the Meet of Champions. On her way to an overall season record of 27-1, she posted some of her best times in the Battle for the Border, a meet hosted at White Haven High School in Memphis, Tennessee, that pits runners from around the region against each other. Wilson ran a time of 11.88 seconds in the 100-meter dash, which was good enough for an Arkansas state record, and a time of 24.60 seconds in the 200-meter dash. She improved on her 400-meter time at the Meet of Champions, posting a time of 57.44 seconds. Second-year Hamburg High School track coach Lanny Allen said Wilson is a tremendous and coachable athlete and also a great person. “There’s probably not a kid more deserving of [this award] than her, as hard as she works and as talented as she is,” Allen said. “She’s one of those kids that, if I had a daughter, I’d want her to act just like that.” Allen added that Wilson has put in hard work in the gym and the classroom. Wilson has doubled the weight on her squats and has added 40 pounds to her bench press, while also achieving a 3.8 grade-point average. “I’m just so thankful that she is getting the recognition like this that she deserves,” Allen said. “This is one of those kids who probably would not seek out the recognition herself. She’s still humble and doesn’t walk around like she’s owed something. She’s a great kid.” Wilson said she would like to continue her track career at the next level, aspiring to attend the University of Arkansas or the University of Central Arkansas. She wants to major in social work in college. “I would like a job where I can be a great help to families, and just people in general, and encourage others,” she said.