Brady Mider (Berks Catholic) is ranked at US No. 12.
He has thrown over 60 feet seven times this year and most recently won the PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival two weeks ago. There, he threw a personal best 61-11.5.
So, can anyone dethrone him as the reigning PTFCA Shot Put Champion?
Mider's worst meet of the season came back on December 16th, where he only threw 57-5 at the Dickinson College Holiday HS Invite. That mark would still rank as the PA No. 5.
Behind him, Alphonso Koukou (Episcopal), Peyton Murray (Hempfield), and Colin Melhorn (Selinsgrove) are the next-best throwers.
Koukou threw a season-best 59-8 at the Kristian Marche Invitational on January 14th. He has since won back-to-back invitationals and hovered in the low 58s at his last two meets. He is within reach of Mider, but he'll need a new best to compete for the win.
Murray, the reigning PIAA 3A State Discus Champion, managed a mark of 57-10.5 in early February. He finished fifth at this championship in 2023.
Melhorn finished 19th at the PTFCA Championship in 2023, but that was a fluke compared to his other February and March performances. This year, Melhorn has been on the dot.
He has thrown further than 51 feet in all competitions, and his only loss of the year came to Mider. He threw 57-9.25 at last week's Bison Last Chance Invitational.
For any of these three to beat Mider, they will likely need a personal best day. On the contrary, they need Mider to slip up a little bit.
Other contenders include Peter Mertz (Chambersburg), Jake Kelly (Archbishop Ryan), and Jalen Gaymon (North Penn).
The Girls
Editor's Prediction: Sophia Rivera throws 40-6.5 for a big win over the state's best.
Five girls enter with seed marks within a foot of each other, and the girls' shot put competition could be decided by inches.
Erin Miles (Milton Hershey) is the top seed. She opened the season with a 40-0 throw but hasn't been able to eclipse that mark. She is coming off a second-place finish at the PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival.
Ephrata sophomore Sophia Rivera scored the win with a monster toss of 39-10.5. Rivera won her last three straight, improving in each of those competitions. She may be ready for a 40-plus foot heave.
Katherine Dolinski (Hempfield 7) has enjoyed a sneakily successful season. This season, she has improved by over six feet compared to her previous lifetime best and is also knocking on the door of 40-plus-feet. She just threw 39-6 to win the TSTCA Meet #5.
However, Dolinski finished third at the TSTCA Indoor Championship, where Maggie Clair (Canon-McMillan) scored the win, and Mikayla Anderson (Beaver Falls) finished second. They each recorded throws of 37-8.50. Anderson has a season-best of 39-3.5.
Emily Jackson (River Valley) is also in the mix. She has been in the circle nine times this season for competition, winning five meets. She threw 39-1 to win the Mount Union HS Qualifier on January 28th.
