Cason Weatherton wins shot put, powerlifting gold at Hartford Nationals

Published 9:42 am Friday, July 25, 2025

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Cason Weatherton earned gold medals in shot put and para powerlifting and silvers in discus and javelin competing in the 2025 Hartford Nationals this week.

The 20-year-old adaptive athlete from Henderson, Texas threw 9.24m in the shot put on Sunday at the Gainey Athletic Complex, improving on his 7.29m distance that earned him gold in the 2024 Hartford Nationals. In discus, Weatherton threw 24.86m, nearly 10m further than his 14.89m mark last year.

“I didn’t even know I threw that last year. I wasn’t really looking at my stats from last year, but that’s crazy,” said Weatherton.

Both his shot put and discus marks were new personal records by two feet and one foot, respectively, compared to distances he’d thrown a month ago at another meet.

At the top of Weatherton’s mind this year was performing high enough to meet the standards for competing in the USATF Para National Championships. In his eligibility class, F57, he would have needed at least 10.45m in the shot put and 27.75m in discus.

“That was so close,” noted Weatherton. “It’s a lingering feeling that if I could have thrown this a little better, I would have made it. But I’m happy for the improvements that I made.”

It encourages Weatherton to see his work paying off. While this year his goal of making it to the national championships was just out of reach, he knows he’s on pace to get there.

“Right now, in my head, it seems like next year, if everything goes correctly, I should make it,” he said.

Weatherton harbors big dreams as well for the Paralympics in 2028. Until then he’s got more chances for the national championships and a competitive spirit driving him. He was disappointed in his javelin performance at Hartford with his mark of 16.75m (the F57 standard is 32.38m). It’s a newer event for him, less practiced in recent weeks, and for the final he felt off the whole time. It’s fueling him to train that event harder.

“The way I throw shot put and the way I throw discus, I know I can throw way better in javelin,” he said.

Weatherton additionally set a new total lift national record, 244.94 kg, in the 97 kg para powerlifting weight class on Tuesday. At last year’s Hartford Nationals, he broke the best lift national record (120 kg) and the best total lift record (230 kg) in the 87 kg class.

His lifts were good enough for gold on Tuesday and Weatherton only regrets that it wasn’t a PR.

“I’m kind of disappointed that I only had [275 lbs.] because I can lift 290. But as somebody on my team said, if you don’t do it in a competition, nobody really cares about it,” he laughed. “But I’m proud that I’m progressing in the right direction.”

Weatherton is likely done with meets for the rest of this year. He’ll be back at it training and competing in the spring. This fall he’ll be a sophomore at UT Arlington where he’s studying kinesiology.

The Hartford Nationals is the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability. It is sanctioned by Move United, an official affiliate of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.