Dino Nadarevic kicked off his 2025 indoor track and field season in the shot put with a pair of meets at Hempfield Area High School.
The Gateway senior recorded a top attempt of 56 feet, 11½ inches Dec. 19 and 56-5½ in his return to Hempfield on Jan. 7. He placed first both times.
But those were just preludes to what Nadarevic was able to accomplish Jan. 11 at the first Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet at Edinboro.
He rose to the top of the boys shot put ranks in Pennsylvania and put himself 12th nationally with his top indoor throw this season. He captured his third win with a personal-best 60-1 which extended his own Gateway indoor record.
“I felt that the throw was there, but there was something slightly off,” Nadarevic said.
“I was able to figure it out and fix it for my fourth-round throw and popped 60 feet. Whenever it hit, I knew it was a PR. But I didn’t expect it to be 60. It was an incredible feeling. Every thrower has a goal to hit 60 feet at one point in their career. I felt it was there. I just had to put it all together.”
Nadarevic said he’s happy to be where he is at this point in the indoor season, but there is more work to be done.
“I worked really hard since the end of last outdoor season, and I felt like I deserved it,” said Nadarevic, who trains several days a week with Gateway track indoor and outdoor assistant coach Mo Washington.
“I’ve only been more motivated since the 60-foot throw. When I hit it, I was like, ‘I hit this, what else can I do?’ There is a lot of motivation to get better and shoot for even better throws.”
Washington said he knew Nadarevic would be ready to break 60 feet.
“That week leading up to the meet, he was a little frustrated in practice because things didn’t seem like they were clicking for him,” Washington said.
“I kept telling him that things were going to be OK. It was all about getting into the meet and letting his adrenaline and skills that he was taught take over.”
Nadarevic has increased his indoor shot put distance by nearly 10 feet since last year’s indoor season when he achieved his 2024 season-best of 50-10.25 at a TSTCA meet.
He went on to place fifth (49-8) at last year’s TSTCA indoor championships.
Nadarevic returns to competition Saturday at the third Tri-State meet at Edinboro.
“I want to go there and continue that competitive spirit,” he said.
“It will be good to continue to see what the competition is, and it will be added motivation for me. The competition this winter in Pennsylvania has been incredible. It is exciting.”
Nadarevic had a breakout 2024 outdoor season that saw him earn a pair of medals at WPIALs before placing seventh (54-8¼) in the shot put at the PIAA championships. He also placed 17th in the discus (144-11).
He produced season bests of 57-6 in the shot at the South Fayette Invitational and 168-3 in the discus at the Baldwin Invitational.
Nadarevic will head into the outdoor season chasing both the shot (63-1½) and discus (172-3) school records. The shot-put record has stood since 1982, and the discus top mark has been in place since 1973.
“I’ve watched him closely in training and I know he’s added a lot of strength from lifting four days a week,” Washington said.
“I’ve been working with him since June when the outdoor season ended. He’s the type of guy who wants no days off. He gets upset if I make him take a day off. I make the point that you have to rest. You can’t just throw, throw, throw.
“But he is on track to really shine at the (TSTCA) indoor championships coming up. We’re trying to not have him peak too early.”
The TSTCA indoor championships are set for Feb. 22 at Edinboro.
The Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association Championships are a week later, March 2, at Penn State.
“Dino has that drive and determination to be the best,” Washington said.
“He can’t get enough of the shot put, and he does everything he can through training to get to where he needs to be. The result are showing that.”