DES MOINES, IA — A local kid from San Angelo made a name for himself on one of the biggest stages in youth sports on August 1. Seth Saldivar won the gold medal in the Shot Put during the AAU Junior Olympic Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The meet began on July 29 and ran through August 5 at Drake Stadium. Seth competed in the Boys' Shot Put - 6 lbs - 10 Years Old on August 1 and won the entire competition.
The young man won by a landslide when he threw for 33’10”. The next closest competitor finished more than a foot behind Seth at 32’08”. With his throw, Seth won the gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympics.
Seth, 10, began competition when he was eight years old as an unattached athlete. He was invited to join the Hill Country Comets Track Club, a club that competes at the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), USATF (USA Track and Field), and TAAF (Texas Amateur Athletic Federation) levels. When asked what Seth likes most about competing, the young man said that he loves meeting athletes from all over the United States. He also likes that his dad, Rudy Saldivar, is his coach.
Seth Saldivar wins Gold at the 2023 AAU Junior Olympics in Des, Moines, Iowa
(Credit: Lily Saldivar)
Seth Saldivar wins Gold at the 2023 AAU Junior Olympics in Des, Moines, Iowa
(Credit: Lily Saldivar)
Seth Saldivar wins Gold at the 2023 AAU Junior Olympics in Des, Moines, Iowa
(Credit: Lily Saldivar)
Seth Saldivar wins Gold at the 2023 AAU Junior Olympics in Des, Moines, Iowa
(Credit: Lily Saldivar)
Seth will be a Central Bobcat one day in the future and says that he wants to be a shotputter and a football player for the Bobcats. He enjoys fishing, playing with his friends, and traveling, which he does a lot as a shot putter.
In February of 2023, Seth threw in Lockhart, Tx, where he broke world records in his division. The young shotputter threw 30’ 2.5” with a 6-lb shotput and 27’3.25” with an 8-lb shotput twice at nine years old to set these records.
He intends to keep training throughout the rest of the year until summer track starts in 2024. He also plans to compete in the fall, when he can, as the young man begins tackle football through the YMCA for the first time in the near future. As of now, Seth plays offensive and defensive lines. Next year, he will compete in three circuits, the AAU, TAAF, and USATF.
In his first year of competition, he and his family traveled to Houston, where he won the gold medal at the 2021 AAU Junior Olympics. Last year, in 2022, the family made their way to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he also won gold at the AAU Junior Olympics. With his latest victory, Seth Saldivar is now on a 3-peat.
The Central High School football coaches must be ready for this young man to grow up if he continues to work as diligently as he had in the past few years. He should be an awesome addition to both the football and track and field teams when he is old enough to attend. He may be young now but watch out for what he can do in the future.
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