Plum’s Owen Proskin wins national title in pentathlon, looks forward to outdoor track season

By: John Phillips
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 12:01 AM

Track and field has a wide range of events in which people can specialize.

From short-distance running, such as the 100- and 200-meter sprints, to field events in shot put, javelin and others, the competition is always tough.

But when it comes to the granddaddy of track and field events, the pentathlon and decathlon are perhaps the truest measure of athletic skills. Requiring the ability to master five to 10 events, becoming a champion in this sport is a true test of versatility.

For Plum senior Owen Proskin, his climb to the top of events of this nature has begun and in big fashion. Recently, Proskin and other Mustang indoor track athletes traveled to the Nike Armory Track and Field facility in New York for the 2025 Nike Indoor Nationals.

Proskin has the benefit of his father, Matt Proskin, being his head coach. The elder Proskin said his son’s success is a direct result of having a good plan.

“His success relates to how much time he puts in,” Matt Proskin said. “Every day, Owen is working on various aspects of each sport. It’s been very rewarding to see it all come together for him.”

Competing against athletes from multiple states in the pentathlon, Owen Proskin began the chase for gold and All-American honors with a second-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. He held that place after a strong effort in the long jump. The only numbers that were better came from an athlete from a school in Texas who is committed to Baylor next fall.

It then came time for shot put. Not Proskin’s best event, but he managed to close the gap on first place despite finishing sixth.

Down the stretch, Proskin began his push to first, coming up clutch and winning the high jump. According to his father, Owen has worked hard on hurdling and jumping events to elevate his game.

“These are very technical sports,’ Matt Proskin said. “The repetition and practice that goes into building skills in each of these is critical. Owen has improved over the years, high jump specifically.”

With a 200-point lead heading into the final event, Owen Proskin maintained his lead by finishing sixth in the 1,000-meter run and won the gold medal, becoming a national champion and All-American in the process.

Now the focus turns to outdoor track. Proskin has his goals focused on making the state meet like he did in 2024. In addition, there will be AAU and USATF events in June and July to think about.

As for the duality of father/coach, Matt Proskin says the two try to find ways to bond that don’t relate to jumping, running or throwing things.

“We do our best to spend time together that doesn’t revolve around sports,” he said. “We enjoy things at home, like watching TV. While in New York City, we did some exploring on our own. We try to keep it light.”

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