Finishing at the top
The Woodlands’ Adam Piperi won the Class 6A state shotput title with a toss of 71-0 and took third in the discus at 192-1. He plans to return to the IAAF World Youth Championships this summer. Read more about the UIL Track and Field State Championships in sports.
Magnolia’s Spencer Nigh left Austin a twotime state champion.
The senior, who plans to walk on with the Auburn football team, won the Class 5A shot put and discus titles last weekend.
“It was really phenomenal for him to be able to get both of them,” Magnolia football coach Sterling Doty said.
Night finished second in the shot at state last year with a throw of 57 feet, 6¾ inches.
He won it in his return with a 62-7½ on his fourth toss.
“We felt like he had a great chance to get the shot put,” Doty said. “He had the farthest throw in the state going into it, at 62-1, and he ends up getting one out there at 62-7, so he PRs, and that was really exciting on Thursday.”
He returned to Mike A. Myers Stadium the next day and won the discus with a 177-6 on his final throw.
“He went into the competition with the fourthbest throw,” Doty said.
“We knew he had a little bit more in him, but anything can happen at the state track meet. And he actually fouled his first two attempts, so he scratched them, and just had the front one to stay in the competition.
“So going into the finals, the last three throws, he was actually in ninth place.”
The first two fouls didn’t faze him, even though he fouled his first two last year, too, and finished last, with only one good throw of 132-11.
“It went down to the wire,” Doty said. “His last throw won it for him, right there at 177, so we’re just really excited for him. It put a bow on his great high school career here at Magnolia, and he’s got a bright future.”
More area medalists
Ellyana Long and Teesa Mpagi paced The Woodlands girls at the Class 6A state track meet last week in Austin.
Long, a BYU signee, repeated as state champion in the high jump with a 5-9, and Mpagi won the high jump with a leap of 19-9¾, helping the Highlanders finish ninth in the girls team standings.
Adrian Piperi led The Woodlands boys, repeating as state champion in the shot put (71-0) and finishing third in the discus (192-1), helping the Highlanders finish sixth in the boys team standings.
Oak Ridge’s Zachary Johnson placed third in the triple jump (48-2½) ,and College Park’s Jeffery Major, Luke Dorrough, Roger Younger and Joshua Holman took third in the 1,600 relay (3:15.82).