The USATF Junior Championships took place over the weekend. The junior championships are a unique competition as it is open to all athletes born in 2000 or later, allowing many college freshman to also enter. Junior men also throw the 6-kilogram international implement, which is more than a pound heavier than the standard high school hammer. Joseph Benedetto, a freshman at Ole Miss, won the boy’s competition with Kyle Brown (West Forsyth, Cumming, GA) as the top high school finisher in fourth place. Mayyi Mahama won the girl’s comeptition. The Penn freshman has now added more than 20 feet to her personal best from high school. Samantha Kunza (Timberland, Wentzville, MO) was the top high school thrower in fifth place. Read more

Noah Belmnahia (Valhalla, NY) hit a new personal best in the fifth round to win a close Emerging Elite competition to kick off the New Balance Nationals action on Friday. Belmnahia improved his best by just 14 inches, but that was just what he needed as just 14 inches separated the first three competitors. On Saturday Moorea Mitchell (Castilleja, Palo Alto, CA) took a huge step forward in the girl’s Emerging Elite competition. After picking up the hammer last summer, she improved to 155’11” to claim the title by more than 10 feet. All four of her legal throws were good enough for the win. Read more

State leaders Kyle Brown (West Forsyth, Cumming, GA) and Hannah Jackson (Kell, Marietta, GA) came away with the wins at this year’s Georgia State Hammer Throw Championships. Read more

The Throw 1 Deep club was back in action over the weekend, taking home two wins at the Music City High School Indoor Invitational. Tanner Duffin (Chamblee, GA) won the boy’s competition, added a foot and a half to his best. He currently ranks second in the nation. Justyn Loper (Whitewater, Fayetteville, GA) and Kyle Brown (West Forsyth, Cumming, GA) both also improved in the competition to move into the nation’s top 10. In the girl’s competition Hannah Jackson (Kell, Marietta, GA) was just inches from her best to capture the win. Read more

A total of 148 competitors from around the country competed on Monday and Tuesday at the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships in North Carolina. Individuals qualified through 16 regional competitions that took place earlier in the month. Read more