High school hammer sees record participation in 2018
Last week we shared the 2018 high school hammer throw all-Americans. We continue to look back at the season this week by analyzing the final 2018 national performance lists.
Bob Gourley’s national list ranks all boys over 150 feet and girls over 120 feet. This year the list included 139 boys and 159 girls for a total of 298 throwers. That represents a 4.5% increase compared to last season and a new all-time high. Digging a little deeper, the number of boys dropped slightly by 4%, while the girls numbers increased by almost 14%.
While the quantity of throwers qualifying for the national list reached an all-time high, the depth at the top was down somewhat in 2018, especially on the boy’s side. After the graduation of many athlete in 2017, the top results dropped off in 2018. There were still more throwers over 200 feet than there have been over average over the last eight years, but at higher levels the numbers were the lowest since 2012. On the girl’s side had three throwers over 190 feet, a tie for the best ever. All other levels were above average, but slightly off of last year’s historic depth.
| Boys | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | 230′ | 220′ | 210′ | 200′ | 190′ |
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 29 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 2016 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 27 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 30 |
| 2014 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 30 |
| 2013 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 22 | 35 |
| 2012 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 21 |
| 2011 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| Average | 2.5 | 4.4 | 9.8 | 18.0 | 28.1 |
| Girls | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | 190′ | 180′ | 170′ | 160′ | 150′ |
| 2018 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 32 |
| 2017 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 27 | 38 |
| 2016 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 38 |
| 2015 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 28 |
| 2014 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 34 |
| 2013 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 25 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 25 |
| 2011 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Average | 1.9 | 4.4 | 9.9 | 18.4 | 30.5 |
