Shot Put Preview
The Boys:
Gateway's Dino Nadarevic has been the standard bearer with the 12-pound ball going back to his first meet in mid-December. Topping 56 feet in his opening competitions at Hempfield Area, the Gator senior upped the ante to 60 feet, 1 inch in his first trip to the bubble at Edinboro University. He has been undefeated thus far in 2024-25 and is currently 31st in the country.
Now tied for 7th in PA, Logan Wegman of Exeter Township is the top returnee from last year's meet, where he finished fifth at 55-9.75, as the top four were 2024 grads. The only other award winner from 2024 is Elizabethtown Area's Brendan Rilatt, who was 7th last year and is 4th in the current rankings at 56-0.
Junior Colin Sturges of Perkiomen Valley is No. 2 headed to State College with a best of 57-7, while senior Jason Noel of Engineering & Science is next at 56-9.25. The other returnees from 2024 are Will Cipollone of Malvern Prep, Alex Polenik of Penns Manor, and Brayden Ross of Brookville Area.
The Girls:
@oldschooltrack Picks: This one should be interesting. How many will top 40 feet? I believe it will take a 40-footer to win, maybe 41-plus. Who will uncork a big throw? It's down to a coin flip, and I will take Goodlin.
Returnees aplenty dot the list of state qualifiers in Sunday's girls shot put. Leading the way is 2024 champ Liv Kopitsky of Mount Carmel.
The senior topped last year's results with a fifth-rounder that traveled 38 feet, 5.75 inches, edging out now senior Maggie Goodlin of Greenville by 3.25 inches. Goodlin is one of six athletes at 40 feet or better this year, having hit the number twice.
Other top scorers from last year include senior Katherine Dolinski of Hempfield Area (4th in 2024) and juniors Sophia Rivera of Ephrata (5th) and Jayla Antomachi of Shaler Area (6th). Led by her state-leading heave of 43 4, Rivera has topped 41 feet in two meets in 2025 and 39 0 two more times.
If Zoe Bupp is able to take home the winner's watch, she will be the second Shenango champion in the past four years, as Emma Callahan owns the PTFCA state meet record at 50-3 from 2022. A junior, Bupp blasted a massive PR of 42'6 feet to win the TSTCA indoor finale after topping 40' feet the week before at Youngstown State. She was 11th a year ago at Happy Valley.