Peters wins gold in shot put

This article was updated on May 7.

Lauren St. Peters, no stranger to Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas at Austin, reached the pinnacle of her high school throwing career Friday, May 3.

Competing for a third straight year at the Class 5A State Track and Field Meet, St. Peters won a gold medal in the shot put. She is one of three from Aledo to bring home a medal as Taylor Hindman and Braylon Brown each finished third in girls and boys pole vaulting, respectively.

Also from Aledo, sophomore Sofia Brandenburg finished ninth in the girls 800-meter run, clocking a time of 2 minutes, 21.20 seconds. It was her second consecutive year to compete in the event in Austin.

"Incredible season! We went from losing the district track meet by one point to winning area and regionals!" said an ecstatic Ladycats coach Mike Pinkerton. "Then we sent three girls to state and two of them medaled — with a champion. I am so happy for and proud of all the girls.

"It was a different kind of season, with the state meet moving dates — which moved our entire schedule. The girls took it in stride and continued to work hard and improve all season long. I'm extremely proud of Lauren, Taylor and Sofia."

The state track meet has historically been held closer to the middle of May.

Shooting to gold

St. Peters, a senior, came close to matching the best throw of her career Friday when she hurled the metal ball 48 feet, 9.75 inches. Only one other time has she thrown farther, her school record of 49 feet at the 5A Region I Meet in Lubbock a couple weeks earlier.

The top-seeded St. Peters bested runner-up Madeleine Fey of Killeen Chaparral by almost three inches. Fey had a throw of 45-11.25.

This is the second year in a row for St. Peters to medal in the shot put. She placed third as a junior.

"Lauren has been on the podium at state before, but never state champion until this year. I had never seen her more prepared for a meet than at state (this season)," Pinkerton said. "It didn’t matter what the weather did, or what her competition did – she was ready. 

"Each one of her six throws would have won the meet. She came to the shot put with one goal in mind, and she wasn’t going to let anything get in her way. Great way to finish off her high school career."

St. Peters narrowly missed bringing home a second medal. She placed fourth in the  discus with a throw of 147-6. Fey repeated as state champion, throwing 164-6.

St. Peters was also fourth in the discus as a sophomore.

St. Peters has committed to throw for the University of Nebraska next season.

Senior Taylor Hindman medaled for a second time at state in the pole vault, capturing bronze this season, her third straight to reach state. She won …

Vaulting to bronze

Hindman, like St. Peters, was making her third consecutive trip to state. The senior matched her regional-winning vault of 12-6 to place third. Ella Pickerson of Comal Smithson Valley won with a vault of 13-0.

Hindman also brought home a medal for a second straight season, having finished second in 2023 after clearing 12-6. She tied for seventh as a sophomore.

"Taylor did an incredible job in the pole vault all season long. She took home the bronze medal from State and set the new Aledo school record in the vault this season (12-7 earlier in the season). She also has her sights set on beginning her college career."

Hindman has committed to vault for the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado next season.

In his first trip to state, Aledo junior pole vaulter Braylon Brown brought home a bronze medal.

Brown, a junior, was competing at state for the first time. He finished among five vaulters who cleared 15-0, but was second in the tiebreaker. Cantrell Brooks of New Caney won with a vault of 15-6.

Both Brown and Hindman came into state seeded third.

"I was pleased with how they handled the conditions (foggy, rainy weather) and both finished with bronze medals," Aledo vaulting coach John Rhodes. "Two great kids who put it together when it counted."

Sophomore Sofia Brandenburg of the Aledo Ladycats competed in the 800-meter run at state for a second straight season.

Brandenburg looking to come back

While she didn't match the fifth-place finish of her freshman season, Pinkerton stressed that Brandenburg's season was a great success - and he believes the best is yet to come in her final two seasons with the Ladycats. He also alluded to her cross country success, which includes back-to-back state appearances with the Ladycats.

"Sofia is an incredibly strong runner and has been all year - to include cross country," he said. "Although she didn’t have the race she was hoping for at state, she is just completing her sophomore season. She will be back!"