MISSION — Before Evan Thompson ever stepped foot inside Sharyland Pioneer, there were already rumblings of thrower.
Coaches talked about the then-eighth grader being the next up-and-coming thrower in the RGV.
“I started hearing whisperings of this Thompson kid coming from (Sharyland) North (Middle School),” Sharyland Pioneer boys track and field head coach Marcelino De La Fuente said. “I was wondering who this guy was. Everyone was seeing he was the next one. I’d see coach (Larry) Howell substituting, and he’d tell me I had a thrower coming up named Evan.”
Fast-forward four years, and Thompson has become a household name among throwers, not just in the Valley but in the state, sporting a resume that includes three district titles, two area championships, a pair of regional appearances and a bronze medal at state.
Thompson added NCAA Division I collegiate athlete to his already lengthy resume Tuesday, signing his National Letter of Intent to compete in shot put and discus at the University of the Incarnate Word at the Sharyland Pioneer Gymnasium in Mission.
UIW is a Division I program based in San Antonio that competes in the Southland Conference.
“It is a complete relief signing,” Thompson said. “It has been a lot getting here. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and discipline into this sport. A lot of stress has come with it, too. It comes as a big relief to get to sign, finally. I’m happy to go to the next level.”
After his freshman season was cut short amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson came out strong as a sophomore, capturing District 31-5A titles in both the shot put and discus throws before advancing to the Region IV-5A championships.
He added his second district title in the shot put last season, finishing as the runner-up in the discus throw. The victories continued to pile up during his junior season, adding area 31/32-5A championships before marching into the regional meet and punching his ticket to state in the shot put.
Thompson wrapped up his junior year with a bang, capturing the bronze medal in the shot put during the Class 5A state track and field championships.
(Special To The Monitor / Photo By Edward A. Ornelas)
“God has been good,” Thompson said. “Once I got that third-place medal at state in the shot put I said to myself, ‘Hey, I am actually kind of good at this.’ That kind of really flipped a switch in me. I started to believe I could make it to the next level and succeed. That was the turning point for me.”
Thompson’s success at the state meet has carried over into his senior season, capturing gold in the shot put during each of his three meets to open his final high school season.
His personal-best throw of 60 feet, four inches during last week’s Mission High Invitational placed him among elite company in the RGV. He became just the 16th thrower in RGV history to record a mark of 60 feet or more, according to RGV track and field historian Carlos Vela.
The throw also ranks No. 1 in UIL Class 5A this season, according to Athletic.net rankings.
“The Valley is pretty much known for throwing when it comes to track and field,” Thompson said. “To be able to have my name among some of those big-name throwers, it’s an honor. It feels really great.”
He’s been almost equally as dominant in the discus throw, capturing gold during his first two meets, and earning silver in the third.
His season-best mark of 159-9 ranks second in UIL Class 5A this year, only behind Sharyland High’s Chukwubueze Ikondu (164-9).
With more than half of the track season remaining, Thompson has a chance to continue to improve his marks and further etch his name into the Valley record books.
His main goal, however, is a return to state, this time aiming to advance in both events and come home with a pair of gold medals draped around his neck.
“I want to have fun, obviously, because it is my senior year,” Thompson said. “If I can go out there and win state, though, that’ll be the cherry on top.”
