High School

California’s top thrower Is also a 4-star football recruit headed to BYU

McKay Madsen leads the state in shot put and discus while also being a 4-star RB committed to BYU. With a 205'8" discus mark and a 65'8" shot put, he's rewriting California high school records and redefining what a dual-sport athlete looks like in 2025

Roland Padilla

Clovis North senior McKay Madsen (3) is one of California's top all-around senior athletes. He's rushed for 1,677 career yards and 28 touchdowns.
Clovis North senior McKay Madsen (3) is one of California's top all-around senior athletes. He's rushed for 1,677 career yards and 28 touchdowns. / Photo: Bobby Medellin

Clovis North High School has a rare talent walking its campus halls.. McKay Madsen currently leads all California high school boys in both shot put and discus (205'8" season best), and he's also a 4-star football recruit committed to BYU as a running back.

While top throwers typically come from linemen or linebacker backgrounds, there's a growing trend of elite high school throwers excelling at running back as well.

Below is a clip of his state-leading shot put toss, which currently ranks as the No. 2 mark in the nation.

Here is how the rest of the top 10 marks for shot put in California look as we're about half-way through the current track season. (note: these rankings are based off of athletic.net)

Shot Put

1. McKay Madsen, Clovis North, Sr. (65'8")

Future BYU RB had a PR of over one foot in a dual meet against Clovis.

2. Luke Lewis, Junipero Serra (San Mateo), Sr. (60'9")

Lewis hit his personal record on March 15th and followed it up with back-to-back performances within a foot, proving it was no fluke.

3. Evan Usher, Woodside, Sr. (59'8" )

The explosive Usher who also broke the school's football rushing record also set the school's shot put record this season.

4. Eliot Traxler, Amador, Sr. (59' 8")

Cal commit looks to break past Masters and make the State meet this season after placing 4th last season.

5. Benjamin Lingenfelter, Yucaipa, Sr. (58'9")

The top thrower in the Southern Section will be headed to UCLA next season as a member of the throws squad after placing 7th in last year's CIF State Championships

6. Bo Ausmus, Redondo Union, Jr. (57'2.5")

The state's top tanked junior in the state has added more than 7 feet to his PR from his sophomore season and will be one to watch at the Arcadia Invitational.

7. Nathan Bloom, Dixon, Sr. (57'0.5")

Bloom, son of former Olympian & NCAA Champion, Andy Bloom, finished 9th last year in the CIF State Championships and is headed to Texas State next season.

8. Benito Lara, Golden Valley (SJ), Sr (56'8")

The senior will be aiming to place at state this season after making it to Masters last season.

9. Kaiden Gonzales, Gilroy, Sr. (56'8")

The senior placed 19 at the 2024 CIF State Championships and will look to have a much more favorable ending to his shot put season this year.

10. Drew Harisay, Etiwanda, Jr. (56'7")

This junior is looking to continue growth in the shot after transitioning from glide to spin this season.

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Roland Padilla
ROLAND PADILLA

Roland Padilla is a high school sports journalist, NIL specialist, and analytics strategist covering primarily West Coast track and field, basketball, and football for High School On SI. He began his career in 2015 reporting on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Thunder era for ClutchPoints before moving into full NBA coverage. He later worked directly with the founder/CEO of Ballervisions, shortly leading programming and cross-platform social strategy during its viral 2016 rise covering the Ball brothers—a run that helped propel the brand toward its eventual ESPN acquisition and evolution into SportsCenter NEXT. A three-sport alumnus and current throwing coach at Damien High School, and a former NCAA track athlete at UC San Diego, Roland blends athlete-development knowledge with advanced analytics in his role as a Senior Analyst at DAZN and Team Whistle. He has supported content strategy for major global and U.S. sports properties including World Rugby, FIFA Club World Cup, the New York Mets, MLS, X Games, the Premier League, the NFL, and the Downs2Business podcast. With a strong background in NIL rules, athlete branding, and recruiting, Roland helps families, athletes, and readers navigate the rapidly changing high school sports landscape—bringing national-level storytelling and clarity to the next generation of athletes.

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