Mel Westover Wins Shot Put Gold at Senior Games
The 68-year-old Franklin County thrower beat his nearest rival by four inches at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Track & Field
Mel Westover, 68, won the men's 65-69 shot put at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, with a throw of 39 feet, 4.5 inches. He beat Greg Holden of California by four inches after finishing second in the event the prior year.
Why it matters
Westover stopped competing in 2011 because of knee problems and arthritis, so the result marks a notable return to elite masters competition. It also shows that athletes in their late sixties can compete at a high level after major surgery.
Westover's winning throw was 39 feet, 4.5 inches, four inches farther than Greg Holden of California, who finished second. Westover had placed second in the same event the year before.
The players
Mel Westover
Westover is a 68-year-old shot put thrower who coaches throwers at Grace High School and has returned to elite masters competition after surgery.
Greg Holden
Holden is a California thrower who finished second to Westover in the men's 65-69 shot put at the Huntsman World Senior Games.
The details
Westover trained with an intense regimen of throwing and weight lifting, and he rode an e-trike to his part-time job before driving to St. George for the meet. His orthopedic surgeon cleared him to resume shot put at age 66, after a total knee replacement and quadruple bypass heart surgery three years ago.
Timeline
2011: Westover stopped competing due to knee issues and arthritis.
Nearly five years ago: Westover moved to Franklin County.
Three years ago: Westover had knee replacement and heart bypass surgery.
2025: Westover finished second in the shot put at the World Senior Games.
Next summer: Westover plans to compete at the National Senior Games in Tulsa.
Season Trajectory
Westover's comeback follows a pattern seen across masters athletics, where competitors who step away for injuries return to national-level events in their sixties. His planned appearance at the National Senior Games in Tulsa would extend that run onto the national stage.
Masters shot put results like this one show how the event's standings can shift when athletes return after long layoffs, which matters for anyone tracking senior-division rankings. Westover's planned Tulsa appearance will be the next test of whether his form holds at the national level.
The takeaway
Westover's return shows that surgery and years away from competition do not always end a throwing career. Readers tracking masters athletics can watch his Tulsa results next summer for a clearer read on his comeback.
What happens next
Westover plans to compete at the National Senior Games in Tulsa next summer.
Further reading
For more on the sport, see Track & Field coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Herald Journal.
