Zoe Vlk (Wilson Central, Lebanon, TN) continued her hot streak over the weekend. Last week she moved up to fifth in the nation with a big improvement. On Saturday she edged out a narrow win to earn the Tennessee indoor state championship. In the boy’s competition Tristan Boatman (Jefferson County, Dandridge, TN) extended his state lead by a foot and a half en route to winning the title. Read more
Many top throwers from the south made their indoor season debut at the USATF Indoor Hoover Alumni Invitational in Alabama on Saturday. Oluwatobiloba Dare (Westlake, Atlanta, GA) improved his best by nearly four feet to produce the top boys mark. Zoe Vlk (Wilson Central, Lebanon, TN) had the top girl’s mark. Read more
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
Favorites both came through and faltered in the championship division at this weekend’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor. National leader Trey Knight (Ridgefield, WA) struggled to start the competition, but improved to capture the win by more than 10 feet in the boy’s competition. Michael Soler (Yauco, Puerto Rico) jumped in the action to take second and Rhode Island champion Logan Coles (Woonsocket, RI) was near his best to win bronze. You can watch a post-competition interview with Knight here. 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
The final entries have been released for this weekend’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor in North Carolina. Action starts on Friday with the boy’s emerging elite competition. Saturday features the boy’s championship and girl’s emerging elite competition. Then the action concludes on Sunday with the girl’s championship. Overall 179 entries are confirmed, including 9 of the top 10 boys in the nation and 8 of the top 10 girls in the nation. Complete start lists and heat sheets can be found here. 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
Zoe Vlk (Wilson Central, Lebanon, TN) added more than nine feet to her best with a winning throw of 54-00.75 at this year’s Tennessee State Indoor Championships last Saturday. In the boy’s competition Jeremiah Sullivan (Daniel Boone, Gray, TN) took home the win. 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
After competing in several outdoor competitions already in the fall, many of the throwers from Georgia’s Throw1Deep club made their indoor season debut on Saturday in Alabama. Leading the way was Tanner Duffin (Chamblee, GA), who became the third thrower in the nation this year to break 70 feet. In the girl’s competition, Hannah Jackson (Kell, Marietta, GA) moved into the nation’s top five with a big improvement. Read more
