McMurry Press Release
The Wright Stuff: War Hawks' Sprinter to Compete at U.S. Paralympics Championships this Weekend
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – McMurry University freshman track star Tanner Wright (Ft. Worth, Texas/North Crowley H.S.) will participate in the 2017 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships, June 2-4 at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Drake Stadium. The event also serves as a qualifier to the World Para Athletics Championships, to be held July 10-12, 2017 in London, England.
Wright – who is also a standout placekicker on the War Hawks’ football team - will compete in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the U.S. Paralympics championship event. He has season-best times of 10.80 seconds in the 100 meters (at the ACU Open) and 21.99 seconds in the 200 meters (in the preliminaries of the American Southwest Conference championships).
Among the U.S. Paralympic competitors, Wright is No. 2 ranked in the 100 meters and No. 1 in the 200 meters. The 200-meter competition takes place on Friday (June 2), with the 100 meters on Saturday (June 3), with morning preliminary races and evening finals both days.
"We are so proud of Tanner and all which he has accomplished this season,” McMurry track & field head coach Brad Parris said. “Tanner doesn't view his disability as an obstacle and that's why he is so successful. It's going to be an exciting summer for this War Hawk!"
Wright helped lead the McMurry team to the 2017 ASC men’s track and field championships, competing in six events. Wright ran the second leg of the War Hawks’ gold medal 4x400 relay quartet, ran anchor on the fourth-place 4x100 relay (missing a medal by 3/100ths of a second), earned a bronze in the long jump, seventh in both the 200 meters and triple jump, while finishing fourth in his prelim heat of the 100. His long jump effort of 6.87 meters at the ASC meet was his season-best mark.
McMurry’s 4x400 relay also earned all-America status with a second place finish at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) outdoor championships. The 4x100 was fourth and Wright finished ninth in the long jump at the NCCAA outdoor meet.
Wright was also an NCCAA All-American during the 2017 indoor championships, as McM’s 4x400 relay placed third.
On the football field, he was a first team All-NCCAA and a second team All-ASC selection. Wright ranked No. 6 in the entire NCCAA in scoring, as well as topping the War Hawks’ team in points scored. He set a McM season record by going 35-for-35 on extra-point kicks and tied a single game record for PATs by going 9-for-9 versus Texas College. He also averaged 58.3 yards per kickoff attempt, with eight touchbacks, and went 8-for-10 on field goals.
Wright condition is called Arthrogryposis, which shrunk his joints when he was in the womb. Wright’s left arm did not fully develop. Additionally, he has gone through minor issues with his ribcage and left leg, as well. As a youth, Wright had three surgeries at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
Wright – a biomedical science major at McMurry – would one day like to return to Scottish Rite and work as a caregiver. For Wright, it would be a chance to give back for the blessings he received from the organization.
Wright was named as the McMurry University Athletics Department’s “Outstanding Freshman” athlete for 2016-17, as well.
