DECATUR — When asked, "What female athlete stands out the most at Decatur High School?" one name stands above the rest, Destanie "Desi" Meek.
Meek, a junior, is a natural born athlete who loves all sports, whether she participates in them or just runs the sidelines as a photographer. This gives Meek a unique view that few can see from the bleachers.
"I really like taking pictures and being close up to all the sports," said Meek. "Being a girl and not being able to play football, although I really wanted to, it's good to be a fan and be with the ones on the sideline all the time. I can see what is happening and understand everything."
Over the years, Meek has taken the time to learn as much about all types of sports as she can, from volleyball and track to baseball and even soccer. One of Meek's favorite sports is track and it showed in the numerous individual high-point leader awards she has won in the junior and senior high school ranks.
When she was in seventh grade in 2013, Meek approached coach Shane Holland about participating in his track program.
"When I first met her, she was a little bitty girl who wanted to jump the hurdles," said Holland. "I thought she was a little crazy back then because she could hardly see over the hurdle."
When the girls' track team won the 1A State Championship in Conway May 2, Meek's leadership and athleticism contributed in a big way to the title. Meek brought home three state championships in the 200-meter dash, 100- and 300-meter hurdles, coupled with two silver medals in the 100-meter dash and triple jump and a bronze medal in the 100-meter dash, earning 53 of the 91 points the team needed for the win. Meek was proud of her teammates as they showed that, working together, they can accomplish anything.
"It felt really good. We were not picked to win at the start of the season (track), but we were not sure because we only had six girls, not very many girls," Meek said. "When we won, we were really surprised and excited because we beat the boys."
The girls' team, along with the second-place boys' team, was honored during this year's Decatur Barbecue celebration. Both teams rode on a float behind the grand marshal's car. This was Decatur's way of honoring the team for its hard work and dedication in bringing this championship to Decatur. For Meek, this was an honor that was too long in coming for the girls' program.
"It felt really good, honestly, because girls' sports don't get the recognition a lot of the time and to be recognized for something that we didn't think we would be recognized at felt really, really good," Meek said.
Meek possesses a high degree of energy and enthusiasm which translates into a hardworking individual who is often called "a ball of energy" by her many coaches and friends.
"She had that personality that, I don't care where you go, before long everybody on every team knew her," said Holland. "The other athletes knew Desi, the other coaches knew Desi. It's like she never met a stranger. She's got a magnetic personality."
More than just an athlete, Meek loves to spend time in the great outdoors. She lives on the old Wilmoth farm on the north side of Decatur with her grandparents Leonard and Tammi Meek. She loves raising animals. Meek, a member of the Decatur Future Farmers of America, showed her market hog during the Benton County Fair Aug. 11. Her animal netted Meek $550.
Living on a farm gives her a chance to do more than just raise animals.
"I live on a farm so I like to ride four-wheelers a lot or ride horses or have a day with my animals," said Meek. "Anything on the farm you can do."
After high school, Meek plans to attend the University of Arkansas, where she hopes to become a member of the legendary track and field team once coached by Jim McDonnell. After college, she hopes to become a physical therapist, chemistry teacher, and a track or volleyball coach, all goals Coach Holland believes Desi Meek can and will accomplish.
"She has grown up now, she is not a little girl anymore. The thing that impresses me about her is that she still has that great personality and is very goal driven," said Holland. "She has goals and things that she wants to accomplish. She doesn't always love it, but she is willing to do the things she needs to do to accomplish her goals. She is a joy to coach."
Sports on 11/01/2017