Furr High School senior Kevin Salinas took a deep breath, stepped into the discus circle, and started his familiar spin that has become the key to his success. Moments later, the discus flew through the air and landed at 131-feet-5, earning him first place at the 2026 Dave Bethany Relays.
The throw not only added another win to Salinas’ senior season, but it also indicated that the defending district champion might be on his way to winning the 4A boys discus title for a second consecutive year. However, even as the distances grow, Salinas and his coach, Karen Waddell, believe his best throws are still to come.
“Before throwing at the Dave Bethany Relays, I was nervous and a little in my head,” said Salinas. “I always get nervous, but once I saw what everyone was throwing, I knew I had to settle down.”
Salinas threw 131-feet-5, to win first place, but even he felt it wasn’t his best effort.
“When I saw my throw reach 131-feet-5, I knew it would be top three, but I know it was far from my best, so I was not completely satisfied,” said Salinas, whose personal record this season is 147 feet. “The throw felt different. When I felt the release, I knew it was going to go far, but I just have to keep working.”
“Kevin’s hard work and determination paid off again this week,” said girls and boys throwing coach at Furr High School, Karen Waddell.
While Salinas is considered one of the top contenders in 5A boys discus this season, the path to another district title actually started months earlier during practice.
As a junior, Salinas was recovering from a broken arm he had suffered during his sophomore football season. It was during this period that he met Waddell, who encouraged him to try the shot put and the discus after his arm healed.
“I was not very good at shot put, so I stayed away from it and focused mainly on discus,” said Salinas. “After watching athletes compete in the sport at the Olympics, I wanted to give it a try. As a junior, I won the district, and it felt great. It was my first year throwing, so I didn’t expect to win, but that made me believe that nothing was impossible.”
Salinas now feels both motivation and pressure as he tries to defend his district title.
“As a senior, I’ve set two goals,” said Salinas. “My first goal was to throw 140 feet, and I accomplished that at the Houston Relays with a PR of 147 feet, so I’ve now set that goal to throw 150 feet and qualify for the UIL 5A State track meet.”
Unlike during his junior season, when Salinas took some time to settle into the sport, he wasted no time starting his preparation as a senior. After football season ended, Salinas immediately began his discus workouts.
Success in the discus circle rarely relies on strength alone. For Salinas, most of his progress has come from refining the technical aspects of the event.
“The most important technical elements of a successful discus throw are a combination of spin mechanics, balance, footwork, and release timing,” said Waddell, who threw discus while attending Prairie View A&M University. “Kevin has improved many of those aspects while tremendously enhancing his control and release timing. The only thing he needs to continue fine-tuning is his footwork.”
“The hardest part about learning and mastering the spin technique was being patient because it takes a lot of practice to master it,” said Salinas.
In the beginning stages of learning the spin technique, Salinas would fall or get dizzy after finishing the spins.
“I wear glasses, but when I throw, I don’t wear them so early on; I would get dizzy, and my head would hurt,” said Salinas. “I would fall because I hadn’t completely mastered the technique, but I always got back up and kept trying.”
Now, with more experience, Salinas concentrates on balance and control during practice by slowing his movements and keeping the discus centered while maintaining proper body control.
“When everything clicks with balance and spin, the disc comes out smooth with no wobble, good height, and distance, it’s the best feeling ever,” said Salinas.
“When everything clicks with balance and spin, the disc comes out smooth with no wobble, good height, and distance, it’s the best feeling ever,”
kevin Salinas
As the technical improvements have materialized, so have the results on the field, giving Salinas confidence that his distances can keep increasing.
“To win the district again, I need to focus in practice, lock in, and compete at meets,” said Salinas.
“With his hard work, Kevin has the potential to advance to and through the Regional finals,” said Waddell. “Continuous improvement and putting it all together at the right time will be his key to peak performance.”
While Salinas has made a name for himself as one of Furr’s top throwers, track and field isn’t the only sport shaping his future, as several schools, including Westgate Christian University and Clutch City College Prep, have already shown interest in him playing football.
“I would love an opportunity to compete in track and field at the collegiate level,” said Salinas. “If I get an offer from any school for tack, I’ll take it.”
For now, however, Salinas’ focus remains on finishing his high school career the same way he started his rise in the event, inside the discus circle.
“Finishing my high school career with another district championship would be great, knowing I did my best in back-to-back seasons,” said Salinas.
“I want to be remembered as an athlete who played football but also tried another sport and found success,” said Salinas.
