The past year was a historic one for high school hammer throwing. A dozen state records fell indoors and outdoors, and the all-time rankings were again rewritten. Below is a summary of the biggest records and all-time performance in 2019.
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Over the past few weeks we have covered some of the highlights of the 2018 high school hammer throw season. We have compiled our final rankings, looked at the growth in participation, and this year’s all-Americans. In this article we want to focus on some of the top performances of the year. Read more
Over the past few weeks we have covered some of the highlights of the 2017 high school hammer throw season. We have compiled our final rankings, looked at the statistical depth of results, and the geographic distribution of top throwers. In this final installment, we look at the new records and top all-time performances from the season. Read more
If you see something that is wrong, you can do two things: act or wait. Acting is not easy; it may cost you your friends, your reputation, or your job. But in many cases it is what is needed. If you wait for someone else to change things then change will likely never come. The old saying goes “you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.” That was definitely true in the case of Harold Connolly, the man who taught me that you can’t compromise or back down on matters of principle. Read more
Bob Gourley’s final national performance lists for the 2016 indoor season were released a few weeks ago. As we did last year, it is helpful to take a statistical look at the sport as it continues to grow nationwide. Read more
As we have written about over the past month, 2015 was a great year for high school hammer throwing. The final rankings rankings included 254 throwers, an increase of 6.3% from last year. Those athletes also hit new performance levels and some record setting performances. In addition, the geographic scope of the sport spread even further. Read more
The 2015 season has finished up with Adam Kelly (Barrington, RI) and Haley Showalter (Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, CO) finishing the season at the top. The year was once again a showcase of how much the sport has grown at the high school level. Overall the number of throwers qualifying for Bob Gourley’s national list increased to 254 throwers. This means that throughout the season 132 boys broke 150 feet and 122 girls threw over 120 feet. This represents a 6.3% increase compared to 2014. Read more
As I mentioned in the coaching roundtable earlier this week, I have a deep interest in learning how to develop an event since that is exactly what several coaches and I are trying to do with the hammer in Switzerland.
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It’s that time of the year again. The USATF Foundation Youth Hammer Throw Fund is now accepting applications for their 2015 grants, supported by the USATF Foundation. Since being started in 2005 by Olympic champion Harold Connolly, the USATF Foundation Youth Hammer Throw Grants Program has been dedicated to helping young hammer throwers across the country obtain the resources they need to succeed.
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The USA Track & Field Foundation, in coordination with the Harold Connolly Youth Hammer Throw Fund, awarded 22 youth hammer throwers with training grants for the 2014 season today.
A record 11 boys and 11 girls have been named among this year’s recipients. The atheltes represent a broad spectrum of the top high school hammer throwers in the country, coming from nine different states. This year’s grant winners included some of the top stars from the 2014 season including US junior champion and national high school leader Haley Showalter and New Balance Outdoor Nationals second and third place finishers Colin Minor and Adam Kelly. Showalter recently competed at the World Junior Championships representing Team USA for the first time. The other winners also boast impressive resumes, as do many of those who did not receive a grant as the number of applications reached an all-time high.
The USATF Foundation helps support the Youth Hammer Throw Grants.
Grant funds may only be used for specific hammer throw training and competition purposes. These grants are made possible through the support of the USATF Foundation and individual donors. Former Olympic gold medalist Harold Connolly began issuing grants in 2005 and during the last nine seasons, more than $39,000 have been awarded to 43 boys and 43 girls. The USATF Foundation began supporting the project before the 2012 season, allowing the project to both continue and expand in the wake of Connolly’s untimely death in 2010. For more information, please visit www.HammerThrow.org.
Youth Boys Name Age School City, State Personal Best Gabriel Arcaro 18 Burlington, MA 209-08 Jacob Beene 18 Gilbert, AZ 220-00 Brock Eager 18 Tahoma, Covington, WA 231-00 James Eblen 17 Centrerville, OH 192-11 Connor Fugere 17 Woonsocket, RI 208-05 Adam Kelly 17 Barrington, RI 223-05 Maxfield Lydum 18 Central, Independence, OR 207-00 Colin Minor 18 South Brunswick, Southport, NC 232-04 Sean Ryan 17 Babylon, NY 218-08 Eric Sheng 17 Syosset, NY 213-02 Charles Whitener 17 North Paulding, Dallas, GA 187-02 Youth Girls Name Age School City, State Personal Best Alexandrea Amazan 16 New Rochelle, NY 113-00 Sochima Bishop 16 New Rochelle, NY 137-09 Monae Cooper 16 New Rochelle, NY 159-07 Gabrielle Figueroa 18 Austintown Fitch, Youngstown, OH 180-01 Alva Hicks 17 Classical, Providence, RI 172-01 Jessica Jeffrey 17 New Rochelle, NY 135-04 Cheyanne Nalle 18 Woonsocket, RI 149-07 Riley Scocco 16 Shorewood Christian, Seattle, WA 138-02 Haley Showalter 17 Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, CO 193-04 Kelli Thomas 18 Luella, Locust Grove, GA 175-02 Andrea Vahoua 18 Pope, Marietta, GA 165-01
