Rivera wins state shot put with record-breaking throw; doubles with discus

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Sophia Rivera throwing the shot at the New Balance Nationals. via Milesplit.com

Brentwood junior shot-putter and discus thrower Sophia Rivera again stunned the field Saturday in Jefferson City at the Class 2 state meet. For the third year in a row she won both events.

Sophia Rivera throwing the shot at the New Balance Nationals. via Milesplit.com
Sophia Rivera throwing the shot at the New Balance Nationals. via Milesplit.com

Rivera won discus with a throw of 154 feet, 9 inches, besting her winning throw last year of 129-11. She won shot put with a new overall state record of 51 feet, 1.25 inches. All six of her throws would have broken the old mark. The previous state record of 47-7.75 was set in 1992, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Rivera told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch she had to calm herself after setting the state mark.

“In the past if I get too excited my form starts to break down,” Rivera told the Post-Dispatch. “I tried to level myself and bring myself back down to earth and keep my form. That way if it happened it would happen.”

Rivera told the Post-Dispatch that every track meet she goes to, no matter how big it is, is an opportunity to improve herself. “It’s not the size of the meet, it’s however good I can do.”

The national high school shot put record is 54-10.75, set in 2003 in Texas. Rivera would have to add almost four feet to her best throw to beat that.

Read the full article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

See also: Sophia Rivera takes gold in national meet – again, Brentwood’s Rivera throws best-in-US shot put

Brentwood junior Jacob Clay took 6th in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.63. The Eagle’s boys 4×100 meter relay took 5th, with a time of 44.82 seconds.

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