Giddings junior Carlie Weiser wins discus, shot put golds at state track meet

Giddings junior Carlie Weiser has two more medals to hang on her bedroom wall.

The shot put and discus specialist won a pair of golds on the first day of the UIL state track and field meet Thursday at Mike Myers Stadium. That matches the two golds she won at the 2021 state meet.

How many medals does she own?

"Probably more than 100," the soft-spoken Weiser said. She was 9 years old when she won her first throwing medal at a Giddings summer camp.

The four golds from the state meets, though, are "front and center" on her wall. If she had competed as a freshman in 2020 — the year the meet was canceled because of COVID-19 — she might have a few more.

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Weiser opened the day with a toss of 46 feet, 1 inch to claim the 4A shot put title. About three hours later, she threw the discus 157 feet, 4 inches, breaking the Class 4A record set by Red Oak's Michelle Carter, who had a throw of 151 feet in 2001.

"I put a lot of work into this," she said. Her winning toss came on her first attempt.

Giddings coach Kenneth Roberts praised his quiet superstar.

"She's got quick explosion," he said. "And she's one of those people who never takes a break."

Weiser said she practices two to three hours a day five times a week. She spends much of the offseason doing weight training. After meeting with the press on a hot afternoon, Weiser posed for pictures with her family.

"She's awesome," mother Michelle Weiser said.

"So humble," aunt Diana Jackson chimed in.

Weiser was the biggest star during the Class 4A and Class 3A portions of the three-day meet. The night events also provided some Central Texas superlatives.

No one performed better than Wimberley, which won the boys team championship late Thursday.

Taylor senior Chris Rohlack earned a silver medal in a bang-bang finish in the 4A 800 meters. San Elizario junior Christopher Moreno earned gold with a time of 1 minute, 58.82 seconds while Rohlack was a step behind at 1:59.10.

More: Which Austin-area high school athletes qualified for the UIL state track and field meet?

Burnet junior Hudson Bennett struck gold for the second straight year when he captured the Class 4A boys 3,200 meters early Thursday. His time of 9:22.86 edged runner-up Angel Silva of Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis, who finished at 9:24.11. Bennett shaved 10 seconds offthe school record. He later captured a silver medal in the 1,600 meters.

Moses Wray, best known around Wimberley as a two-way football player, capped his high school athletic career by earning a bronze medal in the Class 4A shot put. Competing at state for the first time, he said he felt "relieved" after his toss of 54-9½.

"It means a lot," Wray said. "I've worked hard all year. I'm just excited that I placed and I had fun out here. ... My whole goal all year was just to make it to state because the past three years I only made it to regionals."

Wray said he is excited about the "next chapter" of his life. He will enroll this summer at Trinity Valley Community College and play middle linebacker for the Cardinals.

Wimberley closed the night by winning gold in the boys 4x400 relay, the race that gave the Texans the 4A team title. The team of Canyun Staton, Nathan Brooks, Landon Gary and Juan Olmedo-Barraco crossed the line in 3:17.50, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Dumas.

Wimberley earned a silver medal in the 4x200 relay. Hunter Huggins, Jake Poteet, Brooks and Olmedo-Barraca ran a 1:26.79, a half-step behind Decatur, which crossed the line in 1:26.51.

More: See live results from the 2022 Texas UIL State Track & Field Championships

In one of the closest field events of the day, Jarrell senior DJ Warren missed gold by a half-inch in the 4A long jump with a leap of 24-3. Somerset senior Tajh Jones earned gold at 24-3½.

Joy Sherwood, a senior at Great Hearts Monte Vista in San Antonio, earned bronze in the Class 3A pole vault with a leap of 12 feet. A former gymnast, she will compete next year at the University of Texas.

Late Thursday night, Llano sophomore Gwyn Burnett earned a silver medal in the 3A 300 hurdles and Wimberley's Staton captured his second medal of the night when he took silver in the boys 200 meters. Wimberley's Gabriel Wray won a bronze in the 4A triple jump. Blanco senior Ariyah Samuels earned a bronze in the 3A 100 hurdles. New Tech senior Dejah Okonji took the bronze in the 4A 100 hurdles.

Smithville's Nikolette Schmidt captured a bronze in the 4A pole vault. Lago Vista pole vaulter Cadence Sansom claimed a silver in the 3A competition.

Expanded coverage

For more photos and full results from the UIL state track and field meet, visit statesman.com/sports.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Giddings' Carlie Weiser wins gold in shot put, discus at UIL meet