Overcoming adversity: Inside the journeys of two Fort Worth-area shot put state champions

To many observers of the 2024 UIL track and field state championships in Austin, the shot put may seem straightforward.

But to the high school athletes that compete, it’s a lot deeper than hurling a metal ball, or a shot, as far as possible.

Shot put has been an Olympic sport since 1896, and for decades elite athletes have put themselves to the test to answer one simple question: How far can I throw?

The ultimate goal is a strong final result, but the journey to shot put success has left an impact on these two Fort Worth-area state champions.

Stephenville’s Creece Brister overcomes setback to defend title

Creece Brister of Stephenville has had quite the high school athletics career. In 2021, Crister won a Class 4A state football championship as a sophomore.

Football wasn’t the only sport he had championship aspirations for, though. As a junior, Brister was a favorite to win the Class 4A shot put state championship and delivered, throwing the shot just over 58 feet. The second place contender failed to reach 57 feet.

Although Brister loves shot put training, he knows football can lead him to “better places.” His track and field experience translated to the field, and he became a better football player because with increased coordination and technique.

“I was able to know where my weight was and where my feet were at all times,” Brister said. I was able to use my hips, my core, my butt and my abdomen to optimize the force I was able to put on the defensive lineman.”

Birster got invited to a TCU football mini camp but suffered a grade two hamstring injury four weeks prior on a shot put throw. Brister decided to push through the injury, which caused him physical pain.

It was a huge risk, and he was worried his hamstring would limit his abilities. Brister, through the pain, ended up having a phenomenal performance, and TCU offered him a scholarship.

“That hard work. That grit. That determination,” Brister said. “It just makes the victory so much sweeter. .. That was a really special day for me.”

Brister immediately commit to the Horned Frogs. The next chapter of his athletic career loomed, but he still had his senior football and track and field seasons at Stephenville.

His senior year started with a setback, and Brister missed 10 games with a knee injury. He rehabbed and returned at the end of the year and, once again, suffered an injury.

At this point, Brister had sustained an MCL tear, a dislocated kneecap, a partial tear to his medial patellofemoral ligament and had meniscus damage. His season was shut down and underwent surgery to fix the issues.

Brister had a long rehab ahead of him, but held out hope for his track and field season. He was determined to do everything in his power to defend his shot put state title.

“I had two people telling me that I probably wasn’t going to get to throw this season,” Brister said. “For awhile, I was doubtful about it. I was believing them.”

Although Brister had his doubts, he continued to train. At first, the injury forced him to do his throws out of a chair. He wasn’t able to use his legs, but slowly made progress.

“That was not a fun time,” Brister said. “I gotta say, that was not fun. And the whole recovery process – I was going to PT four times a week. I was working out twice a day. I was stretching three or four times a day. Just doing everything I could to get back to even half of what I could do last year.”

Brister wasn’t sure if the doctors would clear him, but eventually they did. He wasn’t even close to full strength but still competed.

Kolt Kittley, Stephenville’s head track and field coach, said Brister was talented enough to get to the state by “basically standing there and power throwing.”

“I mean, he’s that good,” Kittley said. “Now, he wouldn’t have been able to win it, but he would’ve been able to get down there to Austin.”

Brister ended up qualifying for the state meet in both discuss and shot put but was not yet at full strength. Unlike last season, Brister wasn’t the favorite to win the title.

Kittley said Brister stayed calm, cool and collected.

“He never is too excited but never gets too down,” Kittley said. “And the moment is never too big for him. He is very mature for his age and super smart. He’ll get after you, but he never gets flustered. ... He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve had.”

The day of the state meet arrived, and Brister needed a strong performance. In his first five shot throws, his best was 55 feet 10 inches.

Braydon Nelson of Kilgore High School ended up recording a throw of 56 feet 4.5 inches. To defend his title, Brister needed to improve his throw by just over half a foot, and he had one opportunity to do so.

Brister’s final throw traveled 57 feet 3.75 inches, which was 1 foot and 5.25 inches further than his second best throw of the day. It was also 3 feet further than any other throw he had prior to the state meet.

In the 2023 state meet, Brister recorded a 58 foot throw. He couldn’t match that mark in the 2024 season. Still, the senior year state championship was “so much more special” because of the adversity he had to overcome.

The final result wasn’t the most important aspect of his title defense. It was the process and sacrifice it took to make it a reality.

“I got to compete. I got to battle,” Crister said. “And I gotta say, there was nothing like it. … It felt amazing. It was the best thing in the world. It honestly rivaled winning the state football championship. It was a surreal moment.”

Brister also claimed a seventh place finish in discuss. At the grandest stage of track and field, he ended a long journey of self improvement and a “no excuses” mentality.

“In team sports the blame can be put on different people,” Brister. “But in track, it’s just you versus you.”

Aledo’s Lauren St. Peters finds championship strength in solitude

Aledo High School’s Lauren St. Peter’s shot put career started in middle school. She tried multiple field events, but knew her strength was her greatest athletic attribute.

“I tried it, and it just came very natural to me,” St. Peters said.

Over time, St. Peters worked to improve her craft. She had potential, but there was a “lack of desire” to train individually In her underclassman years. Over time, St. Peters matured and made the sacrifices necessary to improve.

“The biggest thing that I’ve seen evolve is just my desire to practice alone,” St. Peters said. “I love track and field so much because I can just do it by myself. I don’t need to have a team. A team is fantastic … but I think a cool factor of track and field is it’s just solo the majority of the time.”

To St. Peters, the key to shot put success is repetition. She became obsessed with training, which involved many hours of sacrifice in solitude.

“I can’t stop getting out there by myself,” St. Peters said. “I can’t stop perfecting this and just working on it.”

In her junior season, St. Peters secured a bronze medal with a throw of 46 feet and four inches. Ahead of the state meet in her final season in high school athletics, Peters kept the same mentality.

“I want to do my best,” St. Peters said. “I want to glorify the Lord.”

There was something different with her senior season compared to year’s past. St. Peters wasn’t satisfied with a podium finish, and yearned to have her legacy solidified as a state champion.

“My true desire was to win,” St. Peters said. “I wanted to win so bad. I wanted to leave it all out there. I knew it was my last shot and so I had that in my mind for two weeks.”

When St. Peters stepped into the arena on Friday, she had a focus unlike any other throughout her career. She won a Class 5A state championship in dominant fashion, throwing 48 feet, 9.75 inches.

All six of her throws were further than any competitor’s furthest throw. Following her successful junior season, she added over two feet to her throw.

“It primarily starts with you believing in yourself,” St. Peters said. “Track and field is such a hard sport because its so mental. You’re by yourself. It is ‘how much do you want it.’”

St. Peters is committed to the University of Nebraska, where she’ll continue her track and field career.

“They’re just great,” St. Peters said. “I’m super excited.”

St. Peters said she spent years thinking she didn’t have what it took to be a champion. She learned to overcome the self doubt, and it changed the trajectory of her career.

“If you’re not going to trust yourself, no one else will,” St. Peters said.