Photo by Joe Albright Gilmer County’s Sada Wright inked with West Virginia University on Thursday. Pictured, front row, from left are mother Michele, Sada and father/GCHS head coach Willard. Back row, from left, are assistant coach Sean Hunt, brother Trevor and Titan athletic director Steve Shuff.

GLENVILLE — Sada Wright’s prodigious abilities in both the shot put and discus were too great to pass up for West Virginia University women’s track and field head coach Sean Cleary.

Gilmer County’s reigning and back-to-back Class A high school state champion in both events, as well as the owner of the third longest shot-put throw in state tournament history, proved an enticing addition to the Mountaineers’ talent pool.

There was just a tiny problem for WVU’s leader.

He didn’t have a throwing coach or program for Wright to join if she decided to call Morgantown home next season for both indoor and outdoor campaigns.

He does now.

Cleary made sure the newly-minted high school graduate called home nowhere but WVU. Kent State, Marshall, Ohio and a myriad of Division II schools all were in the hunt as well as the Naval Academy.

Wright’s family was notified in March before Gilmer’s Class A regional warm-up meet in Lewis County everything was ready to go for the future. Wright could be the first signee of the new program.

The only piece needed was a signature on a National Letter of Intent. A John Hancock which came Thursday inside Gilmer County High’s Schools Resource Center.

“I wouldn’t say it was just for me,” said Wright, when asked about being the pioneering member of the revived throwing program. “It was just the timing of when I got there and he was looking for someone to throw because they have brand new facilities … a state of the art track and field.

“I mean it is cool to be there and in the coming years have more people recruited into the program.”

The Titan joins one of the best throwing conferences in the country in the Big 12. League schools sent three participants to nationals in the shot put and discus each this past season. Pay no attention to the fact Gilmer County competed in the smallest class in the Mountain State. Wright’s performances leave little room to doubt her ability to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level.

Her latest discus throw of 148 feet (a PR) in an AAU event Sunday in Charleston would have placed her 16th at the league’s 2018 outdoor championships. The toss came two months after a 140-foot effort during the state finals at Laidley Field in Charleston.

Also, her state-championship winning shot-put throw of 37-09 would have been 17th best as a freshman in conference.

Those numbers should only trend upwards as she follows a strict weight lifting regime of three to four workouts per week. Wright took one day off from working hard after this year’s state meet before she returned to the weight room. Plus, WVU fans only need look back at her state championship winning numbers her junior season to see the improvements.

Wright threw almost two feet longer in the shotput and 20 feet in the discus this season.

“It was kind of weird,” said Wright on how both parties made initial contact. “We had someone mention the new facilities to us so then we asked about it. The same day we asked, I heard Cleary was going to contact me so we got a hold of each other at the same time.”

Cleary thought it was too late to recruit a Division I athlete to his program. However, Wright was looking for somewhere to go after she didn’t make it into the Naval Academy. Cleary extended the offer and Wright accepted her spot in the program.

During her time in Morgantown, Wright will study environmental science and public health. Two interests of hers she can take into the officer route of the military after college.

She also joined the honors program with help available to her that route and through the athletic program’s educational assistance. “Honestly they are spoiled up there,” said Wright of her athletic brethren.