Overton’s Austin Cook Wins Third Consecutive Class A Discus Title + Adds Shot Put Crown

AUSTIN -- Make it 3-for-3 for Austin Cook.

The Overton senior won his third consecutive state discus championship, throwing 174 feet, 11 inches in Friday's Class A Division I boys final at Mike A. Myers Stadium to secure his third title.

Cook followed his title-winning discus performance with a shot-put show to match. He tossed a 59-foot, 8-inch throw in his final of six attempts to secure 1A D-I gold.

"Coming in to shot put I knew it was going to be very difficult to even place, much less win it," Cook said. "After getting second last year in the shot, it was a huge shock that I was sitting there holding a gold medal in the shot put."

Cook started slow in the discus, throwing 164-9 and 162-9, respectively, in his first two throws before faulting on his third. Cook then delivered his title-winning 174-11 on his fourth try.

He faulted on his fifth and sixth throws, leaving the door open for Texas Tech football commit L.J. Collier of Munday. Collier threw his best, a 172-3, on his final attempt, leaving Cook with more than 2 1/2 feet to spare and hold on for the championship.

"I came to defend my title in disc, and did just that," said an ecstatic Cook. "By far my best performance ever."

Harleton's Thomas Reynolds made the shot put finals a 1-2 punch for East Texas. Reynolds won silver with a throw of 56 feet, 9 inches.

On the girls side, East Texas claimed bronze in Class A Division I. Zavalla's Caitlyn Lambert placed third with a throw of 118 feet, 3 inches, followed by Overton's Abby Mackey in fourth with a 117-1.