Kyle Christopher had a well-thought-out plan and was happy with his execution, he just ran into better competition last weekend at the Class 3 state track meet in Jefferson City.

Christopher was still able to earn all-state honors with a fourth-place finish in the discus, nearly surpassing his personal-best with a final toss of 167 feet, 1 inch.

“I’m alright with it,” Christopher said. “It’s not what I wanted, but I came out and got all-state, and that was the goal from the beginning.”

Christopher was confident a throw of 150 feet or more would earn him a spot in the finals.

He surpassed that with a first-round toss of 162, securing his spot in the final group.

“We really stuck to the plan today,” Wright City Coach Fred Ross said. “We didn’t want to get too excited early on, and we knew a 150 would get him to the finals.”

Christopher’s dream of a state championship was dashed early on when Hogan Prep’s William Bradley-King broke the state record with a toss of 188-4.

“I knew what he was going to throw, and I’m glad I saw him break the record,” Christopher said. “It didn’t affect me, though, because I knew what he was going to throw. I just knew I had to throw better than guys below me, and I did.”

Christopher’s performance at the state meet mirrored his high school career.

He continued to get better each trip into the circle.

As a freshman three years ago, he struggled to crack 70 feet in the discus.

He battled injuries the following two years while working at his discus field behind his house, and came out strong in the first meet this spring.

“Last year our school record was 138 and he wasn’t even close,” Wright City coach Sue Wright said. “Then he throws 154 his very first meet this year, and I knew we couldn’t do anything with that record wall until he was finished.”

Ross wasn’t sure how far Christopher could go this season, but he knew he would be prepared.

“We knew he practiced well coming into the season,” Ross said. “Qualifying for state last year really helped him today, too. Knowing the routine and being on the big stage with all the people really helped him prepare.”

Christopher plans on throwing at the next level, and plans on making his collegiate decision soon.

Wright believes his work ethic will continue to help him in the future.

“I’m a little biased, but I think individual kids have to work a lot harder because there is nobody else to rely on,” she said. “Your all-state athletes in team sports work extremely hard, but they can be made to look better because their whole team looks good. Not to take away from their work, but these individual kids have to work a lot on their own, and that’s just dedication and determination.”