Ukiah High’s Kalathan Laiwa-McKay had a huge year, 2019, as a junior placing 14th at STATE with a 54-11 put to make him the Empire’s 6th best Junior ever.
His senior year ended just as it was beginning because of the pandemic in 2020.
Laiwa-McKay is now throwing for San Marcos College a division II school in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Last year as a sophomore he was the 2023 CCAA Shot Put Champion at 52-10.25 and was named the 2022-23 CSUSM Men’s Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year.
Today (February 24, 2024) at the Ron Kamaka Open at Mt. SAC he won the shot put at 55-11.
Shot results 55-11 1st
Hammer results 164-4 3rd
A note about Ron Kamaka
Redwood Empire SHOT PUT 16lb Bests
64-7¾ Andy Gillam, Kansas State (SRJC ’82) (19.70m) 1985
62-1¾ Dennis DeSoto, San Jose State (SRJC 1984) at Stanford Invit. 3/29/86
60-11 Jeff Voorhees, SRJC (SSU) 1982
57-0¼ Brendan Page, Chico (SRJC ’02) 2004
56-9 Doug Mattern, SRJC 1981
56-4 Jan DeSoto, Sac State (Santa Rosa H.S. ’72, SRJC ’74) 1975
55-4¾ Nolan Nagle, Chico (Cardinal Newman ’13) 5/3/18 CCAA Championships
55-11 Kalathan Laiwa-McKay, San Marcos (Ukiah ’20) 2/24/24 Ron Kamaka Open
54-1½ Bob Gummerson, SRJC 1975
54-0½ Dave Albritton, (Piner ’76, SRJC ’78) 6/17/79 at Optimist meet
High School junior year
Kalathan Laiwa-McKay, 11, Ukiah
Shot Put
14th STATE 54-11
1st NBL 53-3.5
1st Castleberry 50-6.5
1st NCS Redwood 50-2
1st West Valley 49-4
1st SR Jamboree 48-5.5
2nd Viking 53-2
2nd SR Twilight 47-0
3rd NCS MOC 52-11.5
54-11 2nd 2019, 20th All-Time, 6th Junior AT
Discus
1st Castleberry 126-10
2nd SR Twilight 130-4
3rd Viking 145-6
3rd NBL 133-7
12th NCS MOC 132-7
145-6 3rd 2019