Astoria senior Colton McMaster a double winner (shot put, discus) at Jesuit Twilight Relays: 'Why not shoot for the stars and end up on the moon?'

The Dartmouth commit became the 40th Oregon shot putter to throw more than 60 feet. Is 70 feet next?

René Ferrán | May 1, 2022

Astoria senior Colton McMaster a double winner (shot put, discus) at Jesuit Twilight Relays: 'Why not shoot for the stars and end up on the moon?' /

By René Ferrán

Astoria senior Colton McMaster had been on the cusp of big throws this spring.

Finally, at the Jesuit Twilight Relays on Friday, everything came together for the Dartmouth commit, and he made a bit of history.

McMaster became the 40th Oregon shot putter to throw more than 60 feet with his third attempt in the preliminary round — and the first in the 20-year history of this prestigious meet.

His winning throw of 60 feet, 4¼ inches, moved him to No. 4 on the all-time Class 4A list and 37th across all classifications.

“I just figured, I got a good one in (a personal-best 59-3 in Round 2), and it was time to go for it,” McMaster said. “That throw gave me some more peace of mind, so I was like, ‘Hey, if I foul this, it’s no big deal.’ So, I just threw it as hard as I could, and it went well.”

McMaster later won the discus competition during the night session, maintaining his undefeated season in both events but with a throw (163-10) that was well off his personal best due to the drenching rain.

“This means a lot to me,” he said. “I had some injuries a couple of weeks ago, and it’s nice to know that I’m better than where I was last year, especially at the end of the season.”

As for the end of this season, what are McMaster’s goals now that he broke the 60-foot barrier?

“I guess 70 feet,” he said with a big smile. “Why not shoot for the stars and end up on the moon?”