Crouser becomes third best putter in history at USATF Throws Festival

TUCSON -- A rematch of the men’s shot put final from the 2019 World Championships that produced the greatest medal competition in history did not disappoint Saturday evening at the USATF Throws Festival at the University of Arizona in Tucson, part of the USATF Journey to Gold - Tokyo Outdoor Series.
 
Inching ever closer to the world record that has stood for more than 30 years, Ryan Crouser became the third best shot putter in history with a massive 23.01m/75-6 in round five to win a competition that turned into one of the deepest non-championship events in history. Crouser would have won with any of his five legal throws on the night, and he now has 127 throws of 22m or better in his career, by far the most by any thrower ever. For good measure, Crouser capped off the night with a 22.86m/75-0, a distance only he and six other men have matched or bettered.
 
Reigning world champion Joe Kovacs was also out beyond the 22m line with a best of 22.04m/72-3.75 in the second round, and Darrell Hill finished out the U.S. sweep of podium spots with a 21.88m/71-9.5 final throw. The top seven men had throws of 21.07m/69-1.5 or better, quality rarely if ever matched when Olympic or World medals aren’t on the line.
 
Four Team USATF men had lifetime bests in the men’s hammer, but it was world-leading Rudy Winkler who came out on top of one of the greatest competitions in U.S. history. A consistent Daniel Haugh led through two rounds with a pair of 77m+ efforts before Winkler put it all together and blasted an 81.44m/267-2 in round three that kept his undefeated streak going in 2021 and ranks as his second best distance ever.
 
Sean Donnelly uncorked a 79.27m/260-1 in that same round to take over the No. 6 spot on the all-time U.S. performer list and Haugh almost surpassed that in the fourth stanza with a 79.03m/259-3 PR. Winkler tacked on another 80m+ toss in the fifth round at 81.17m/266-3 to assure the win. Alex Young was fourth at 77.07m/252-10, while Brock Eager upped his lifetime best to 75.84m/248-10, more than 13 feet better than his PR coming into the season.
 
A strong quartering wind rewarded the women who were able to figure out the optimal flight angle in the discus, and no one did it better than Arizona State’s Jorinde Van Klinken of the Netherlands. Van Klinken rocketed to the top of the world list and destroyed her own national record with a 70.22m/230-4 in round five. In the previous round she had hit 67.00m/219-10 to extend the lead she established with her first throw, but Jamaica’s Shadae Lawrence drove the platter out to a national record 67.05m/219-11 to briefly move atop the standings. Kelsey Card took third and was the top American, notching a season best with her 63.18m/207-3 in the third round. Van Klinken’s throw also added almost nine feet to the existing collegiate record, set in 1981 by Meg Ritchie of Arizona and Great Britain.
 
Previewing what is sure to be a knock-down drag out battle for the top three spots at the upcoming Olympic Trials, four American women finished within five feet of each other in the hammer, with Gwen Berry coming out victorious on the strength of a fourth-round season-best 76.79m/251-11. Janee’ Kassanavoid went immediately to the front with her opening throw, a personal best of 75.50m/247-8, and she held the top position until Berry’s big toss.
 
American record holder and reigning world champion DeAnna Price squeaked into the final after two fouls and a safe 67.39m/221-1 in round three, and then regrouped and put out a 75.88m/248-11 on her fifth try. That placed her third behind Brooke Andersen, who had a best of 76.36m/250-8. Nigeria’s Annette Echikunwoke improved her national record to 75.49m/247-8 in round one to finish fifth.
 
Winning her fifth competition in a row this year with her third straight lifetime best, 2016 Olympic Trials champion Maggie Malone became the No. 4 U.S. performer ever with her 63.81m/209-4 in the fourth round after three subpar efforts to open up. While Ariana Ince grabbed second with a season best 61.64m/202-3, American record holder Kara Winger was the feel-good story of the meet in her first competition back since undergoing ACL surgery last August. Winger, fifth at the 2019 World Championships, had a best of 60.97m/200-0 on her last attempt and also had one more 60m+ throw.
 
World Championships bronze medalist Vashti Cunningham struggled early in the women’s high jump, trailing training partner Jelena Rowe until she sailed over 1.99m/6-6.25 on her first attempt. Cunningham, the 2016 World Indoor champion, had to take three jumps at 1.96m/6-5, a lifetime-best height that Rowe was overjoyed to clear for the first time as that gave her the Tokyo qualifying standard. She and Cunningham are the only American women who have achieved that standard thus far. Rachel McCoy tied her PR of 1.93m/6-4 for third, matching a height she last cleared in 2016.
 
Missing only once on the way to a lifetime best in the men’s high jump, Shelby McEwen achieved the Olympic standard with a 2.33m/7-7.75 to win and put his name in the mix for a Tokyo berth as he joins three other U.S. jumpers who have the standard. McEwen, the NCAA Indoor champion for Alabama in 2019, missed on his first try at 2.29m/7-6, but was otherwise errorless on a perfect night for jumping.
 
The men’s discus, just like the women’s competition earlier, had two foreign athletes in the top placings, led by a national record 67.48m/221-5 for Alex Rose of American Samoa. Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres was the runner-up at 65.20m/213-11, and the top U.S. finisher was Brian Williams, who hit a best of 62.96m/206-7 on his last attempt. Sam Mattis threw a season best 62.77m/205-11 in fourth.
 
One throw was all it took to win the women’s shot put, as Jessica Woodard led from the start with an 18.85m/61-10.25 throw that only Jessica Ramsey came near. Ramsey claimed the runner-up spot with a best of 18.63m/61-1.5, equaling her season best.
 
Rounding out a stellar day of field event excellence, Curtis Thompson had his farthest throw since taking second at the 2016 Olympic Trials with an 81.44m/267-2 in round two that stood up to win the men’s javelin, the final event of the evening. Riley Dolezal’s fifth round 79.86m/262-0 put him solidly in second, but Ethan Shalaway came away as possibly the happiest third-placer in any of today’s events, shredding his previous lifetime best by more than 10 feet with a 77.67m/254-10 that qualified him for the Olympic Trials in Eugene.
 
Results from the USATF Throws Festival can be found here.
 
The Journey to Gold series continues Sunday, May 23 with coverage of adidas Boost Boston will run 10am-11am EDT on usatf.tv+, followed by 4pm-4:30pm, leading into a live broadcast on NBC from 4:30pm-6:00pm EDT.
 
Fans can follow along with #JourneyToGold and #USATF on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.