Star Valley High School Seniors Abi Carrillo-Zarate & Elia Matautia along with throwing coach McKay Young stepped into the SVI Radio studio during First Bank of Wyoming Sports Friday ahead of the 4A West Regionals. Carrillo-Zarate currently holds the school records in both shot put and discus, while Matautia holds the school record in discus with hopes to break the shot put record this weekend.

(0:00) Duke and Dow with you in studio this morning (0:02) and joining us live in studio as well, (0:04) a couple throwers for Star Valley High School (0:06) heading into the region tournament. (0:08) That’s Abby Carrillo-Zarate and Aliyah Matawatia-Uso (0:11) and their throwing coach McKay Young (0:13) in studio as well this morning. (0:15) Abby, Uso, hey, how’s it going for you today, guys? (0:19) It’s going pretty good.

(0:20) Sweet. (0:21) Pretty good. (0:22) Well, thanks for coming in, guys.

(0:23) We appreciate it very much. (0:24) Abby, let’s start with you. (0:26) You have been kind of rewriting your own records (0:30) for the last several months and things like that.

(0:34) Kind of talk to us about your journey (0:37) becoming a thrower for Star Valley High School (0:39) and how it kind of became your thing. (0:43) You know, it all started in middle school (0:45) when my friends were like, oh, you should do track. (0:47) But then, you know, it was a running part.

(0:49) I was like, no. (0:50) So then they told me, well, you can just be a thrower. (0:53) And I was like, okay, you know, (0:54) I guess I can go and try it out.

(0:55) And then, you know, it ended up going pretty good. (0:57) And I was like, okay, I’ll do it in high school. (0:59) And it’s just, it’s been really fun, you know, (1:01) because it’s not like a basketball team (1:04) where everybody has to like, as a group, you know, (1:07) like throwing, it’s just, that’s on you.

(1:08) So it’s just like you grow personally, (1:11) you like the work that you put in yourself, (1:13) and that’s what the results are going to be. (1:15) And, you know, it’s good, you know, (1:18) like I used to be a glider, (1:19) but then over the summer I learned to do rotation (1:22) and now it’s been working, it’s been paying off. (1:25) For those that aren’t familiar with it (1:27) and what you just said, glider and rotation, (1:30) talk to us about the difference between those two (1:32) and the technique that you have to practice (1:36) to do what you do.

(1:39) Well, the glide, you just like go down (1:42) and you like jump back, you know. (1:44) I don’t really know how to explain it, (1:45) but then with the rotational, you just spin (1:49) and then you just throw, you know. (1:51) But, well, they’re both hard.

(1:58) You know, like the rotation takes time to learn (2:01) and the glide is just like an easy thing, (2:04) but it’s also really hard to like master (2:06) because you can see, like anybody can do throwing, (2:09) but it’s just like, it also just depends on who you are (2:12) because Zuso, he does a lot better with the glide. (2:15) And, you know, I like to do the glide too, (2:17) but I just, I’ve learned that, you know, (2:18) rotational is just more fun for me (2:20) and it’s just better in a way. (2:23) So, yeah, Abby has, she actually broke her own school record (2:27) in the shot put on back-to-back throws at the Dave Draney (2:29) and I was all excited and I wrote it all down.

(2:32) And then two days later, you broke it again in Jackson. (2:37) And so, but you have gotten obviously some attention (2:41) and you’re gonna be, we’ve never had anybody (2:44) from here go do this. (2:46) You’re gonna go and compete for the Rome City Institute (2:50) in Italy.

(2:52) Talk to us about that, how that came about. (2:55) Well, there’s the NCSA program (2:57) and that’s where it helps recruit athletes. (2:59) And so, you know, I made my profile (3:02) with the help of my parents and then Rome sent out (3:07) like a promotional email saying (3:08) that they wanted more athletes.

(3:09) And so, you know, I decided to apply, (3:11) but I was like, well, it’s all the way in Rome (3:12) and all this stuff. (3:13) I don’t really think I’m gonna get accepted. (3:15) And then, well, I got accepted (3:19) and it’s gonna be really exciting.

(3:22) So how’s your Italian coming along? (3:25) Well, Duolingo says it’s pretty good. (3:29) Nice, that’s a fantastic answer. (3:33) Elia, let’s talk to you for just a minute.

(3:36) You verbally committed to play for Rocky Mountain College (3:39) to play some football, but you, (3:42) I like to use the word uncorked. (3:44) You uncorked a discus throw at the Dave Draney (3:48) that just absolutely shattered the record by 14 plus feet. (3:53) Talk about leading into that, (3:55) because you seemed really confident (3:56) that you were gonna have a big throw that day.

(3:58) I mean, I was really not into discus on that day. (4:03) I was all looking for shot. (4:05) I’ve been doing shot for the whole week.

(4:06) I did not care about this. (4:08) And then somehow I still shattered that thing (4:10) because I told Jonah he can’t hold that one (4:12) and I’ll try to broke the shot put record (4:15) because everybody was talking about it. (4:16) And I was like, I’ll do it.

(4:18) But somehow I broke that discus record (4:22) without expecting it, so. (4:25) Love it. (4:25) Uso, obviously to do what you do, (4:27) you’ve got to have some physical strength, (4:29) which you’ve got.

(4:31) But talk to us about the technique that goes into it, (4:34) because it’s not just all your physical ability, (4:37) but the technique and what goes into it. (4:39) So how do you work on that? (4:40) For discus? (4:41) Yeah. (4:42) All right.

(4:42) Um, we just do like spin. (4:46) It’s like pretty much like the main technique for discus (4:51) is like spinning. (4:54) And I don’t know, for me, I just strength that thing.

(5:00) I usually don’t use skills on it. (5:01) I just like power that thing. (5:04) Fair enough, I stand corrected.

(5:08) What are some goals that both of you (5:10) have for this weekend and next weekend? (5:12) Because it’s kind of neat. (5:13) You get to throw it home for regionals, (5:15) which it’s pretty rare that as a senior (5:18) you get to actually throw it home for regionals. (5:20) It’s a test to kind of work that way.

(5:22) And then state next week. (5:25) Like 10 days from now, what would (5:27) you like to wrap your senior season going, wow, (5:29) I accomplished this? (5:31) For me, I’m probably going to break the record again. (5:34) So that I can’t go out this state (5:37) while my name is on that school board.

(5:39) Yeah, that’s my goal. (5:42) Yeah, I would also like to break the record for shot put, (5:45) definitely over 40 feet. (5:47) And discus, I think I have a little bit more in me.

(5:50) So hopefully I don’t leave it at just 120. (5:52) But Emory Kennington, she’s been getting pretty good. (5:55) So I think next year she’ll be breaking that.

(5:57) You got to set the bar for Emory. (5:59) You got to keep your name up there, OK? (6:02) Abby, I want to ask you this. (6:04) And then Uso will ask you the same question.

(6:05) But Abby, you talked about starting out in middle school (6:08) and how it was just like, yeah, my friends talked me into it. (6:11) And now here you are, the school record holder. (6:13) So what advice would you give to maybe a middle school (6:17) student now that’s like, ah, maybe I’ll just try it (6:20) because my friend’s trying it.

(6:21) How do you go from that to a school record holder? (6:24) What has to take place in between? (6:26) Well, I don’t know. (6:29) I think just like in middle school, just have fun with it. (6:33) Like, I don’t know.

(6:34) I was always too hard on myself, like mentally. (6:36) And it’s just, they’re also like little kids. (6:39) Because young, he’s like, OK, we’re (6:40) going to go practice with the middle schoolers.

(6:42) And I see them. (6:44) And they’re working hard. (6:45) But also, I can tell that for a lot of them, (6:48) it’s hard mentally.

(6:50) So just have fun with it in middle school. (6:52) And then once you get to high school, (6:54) you start learning more of the technique. (6:57) And really just have fun with it, I’d say.

(7:01) Because it’s just, yeah. (7:04) Perfect. (7:04) No, that’s a good answer.

(7:05) Absolutely. (7:05) We appreciate it. (7:07) Uso, how about you? (7:08) What advice would you give to a young thrower (7:10) so that they can be successful? (7:14) Uh, probably just eat before you eat the Fargan you throw.

(7:24) And yeah, probably have fun. (7:27) Just don’t think about it like how hard the sport is. (7:30) Just be like, this thing is going to be easy.

(7:33) And I know I could do it. (7:34) If someone can do it, I can do it too. (7:36) And yeah.

(7:38) Love it. (7:39) Coach McKay Young, let’s bring you in on this conversation. (7:41) You’ve had a chance to work with these two throwing.

(7:45) What do you have to say about these two here (7:48) and what they’ve been able to accomplish this year? (7:52) Just how proud I am. (7:54) I mean, throwing is something, and Abby alluded to this (7:57) earlier, how personal it is. (7:59) And I just want to tip my hat to these two (8:02) and to the rest of Throw Nation, the rest of the throwers (8:05) that we have.

(8:06) They’ve all put a ton of individual and personal effort (8:09) in. (8:10) I can think of specific evenings where Abby and Uso, (8:14) long after the rest of the throwers have gone home, (8:17) I’m already headed home. (8:19) And they’re still out there just grinding far away (8:22) from the spotlights.

(8:24) Sun’s coming, or sun’s going down over in the West Hills (8:27) and Abby and Uso. (8:30) Jonah, Emery, Flukey, the rest of them, (8:33) like they’re there late grinding. (8:36) And it’s fun to see, particularly with two seniors, (8:39) to have their names on the record board (8:41) and an opportunity to compete in front of a home (8:43) crowd in a regional track meet.

(8:46) So again, just want to tip my hat to these two (8:49) and to all of them for all their work. (8:53) Perfect. (8:54) All right.

(8:54) Appreciate you guys coming in. (8:56) Of course, it is regional track, coach, (8:58) that Star Valley’s hosting. (8:59) So maybe give a plug to fill up the stands a little bit today, (9:03) come see some of these athletes.

(9:05) Yeah, absolutely. (9:05) I mean, I was just talking to Dallas. (9:07) This is an enormous event.

(9:09) When you talk about the 4A West, these (9:10) are eight teams all bringing 80-ish athletes. (9:15) You look at some of the marks that are coming in, (9:18) you’re going to see some really fast kids, (9:20) some really athletic kids, some really strong kids. (9:24) The discus, my goodness, the field, (9:28) I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this many good throwers (9:31) in a regional track meet.

(9:32) And to have it in our own place and in a brand new disc ring, (9:37) very grateful for the school board, the admin, (9:39) and everybody that’s made that new ring happen. (9:42) But to be able to host so many great athletes (9:45) in a brand new discus ring, yeah, I (9:46) think it’s worth coming out to watch. (9:48) Absolutely.

(9:49) And you guys broke it in the day. (9:51) Well, somebody broke it in the day. (9:53) They broke.

(9:54) They pinged it off the pole. (9:56) It’s like, yep, I guess it’s strong then, a couple of those. (9:59) So yeah, I encourage people to come out and watch today (10:03) and tomorrow.

(10:04) There is a little bit of a cost because it’s a culminating (10:06) event, but just a few bucks. (10:08) And yeah, going to see some amazing athletes, (10:10) including our own Star Valley High School athletes, Abby (10:14) and Uso. (10:14) Good luck to you guys.

(10:16) I appreciate you guys stepping in studio today. (10:18) It’s first Bank of Wyoming Sports Friday today (10:20) on SWIFT 98, The Spur, and also The Way with the SVI Radio (10:23) Network.