Big PRs, US top 5s abound for preps at Chicagoland Throws!

by Steve Underwood

Several of the 31 preps enjoying the competition and camaraderie with the elites at the Chicagoland Throws last weekend (July 11-12, 2014) also dug down deep for big PRs and US top-5 performances ... and the elites competing alongside them frequently put on a show, too! Check below for the best of the best!

Pictured (from top to bottom): Raven Saunders, Colin Minor, Tairyn Montgomery, Nick Solfanelli, Felipe Valencia, Lena Giger, Carlos Davis and Kiana Phelps.

 G-Shot: Another big mark for Saunders
  • 56-4 girls’ shot put (#3 all-time performance) by NBN in/out double champ and US Junior champ Raven Saunders (Burke, SC senior)(pictured at right), the 4th meet this year beyond 56 feet (1 indoor, 3 outdoor) for the HSR-setter.  She finished ahead of Lloydricia Cameron (Miami Northwestern, FL senior) at 46-11.5 and Shaina Burns (Prior Lake, MN senior) at 46-4.5.  
  • Standing US#2 and USATF runner-up Felicia Johnson (Nike) led the Elites at 61-5, followed by Brittany Smith (unatt.) at 57-0.75 and 2008 NON champ (and 2-time in/out nat’l runner-up) Becky O’Brien (unatt.) at 56-11.5.
B-Hammer: Minor blows past 230
  • US#2 232-4 boys’ hammer throw (#14 all-time) by Colin Minor (South Brunswick, NC senior)(pictured at right), who also had a 227-5 in his series.  He was followed by Adam Kelly (Barrington, RI junior) at 216-1 and Throw 1 Deep’s NBNO champ and standing US#1 Daniel Haugh (St. Pius X, GA senior) at 214-7.
  • 2012 Olympian and 3-time USATF champ Kibwe Johnson (Nike) paced the Elites with 243-8, followed by 3-time USATF 3rd-place finisher Chris Cralle (Shocker) at 234-5.
G-Javelin: Montgomery over 160 twice
  • US#3 163-0 girls’ javelin throw (#19 all-time) by NBNO champ Tairyn Montgomery (Redondo Beach, CA soph)(pictured at right), who also threw 162-9.  She led a 1-3-4 finish by NSAF Project Javelin throwers, as standing US#1 Katelyn Gochenour (Marian Catholic, NE soph) was 3rd at 156-0 (tiny foul at 162-0) and Emma Fitzgerald (Thayer Acad., MA soph) was 4th with US#12 151-2.  Gabby Kearney (Roseburg, OR junior) – who will be training with the Project in Finland – was 2nd at 157-8.
  • Rebecka Anderson (Grand Valley/Ontario, CAN) was the only Elite throwing and she hit 144-5.
B-Javelin: Thompson, Solfanelli both top 215
  • 217-6 boys’ javelin throw by standing US#1 and US Junior champ Curtis Thompson (Florence Memorial, NJ senior), holding off the US#4 effort at 215-8 of Nick Solfanelli (Scranton Prep, PA junior)(pictured at right)NSAF Project Javelin throwers Trevor Danielson (Newburg, OR senior) and Todd Ogden (Glacier, MT senior) were 3rd and 5th at 198-6 (seasonal best) and 184-11, respectively, with John Putnam (Massapequa, NY junior) – who has trained in the program – finishing in-between at 4th with 193-0.  NBNO champ John Nizich was unable to compete due to injury.
  • USATF champ and 2012 Olympian Sean Furey (unatt.), who was also our FL national champ back in 2000, led the Elites with 260-11.  He was followed by NSAF Project Javelin coach Barry Krammes (Shore AC) at 243-2 and standing US#1 Tim Glover (unatt.) at 240-8.
B-Shot Put: Valencia nails a 65
  • US#5 65-7.5 boys’ shot put for Felipe Valencia (Palmview, TX senior)(pictured at right), defeating standing US#1 Nick Demaline (Liberty Center, OH senior) at 63-7.5.  Also over 62 feet were Eric Favors (North Rockland, NY junior) at 62-8.75 and Luke Lewis (Hickory, PA senior) at 62-8.5.
  • Curtis Jensen (Illinois State) was the only Elite throwing and he hit 62-3.25.
G-Hammer: Showalter over Gaitan
  • 184-11 girls’ hammer throw by standing US#1 and US Junior champ Haley Showalter (Valor Christian, CO junior) reversing her order with Throw 1 Deep’s Sabrina Gaitan of (Sprayberry, GA junior) from NBNO.  Gaitan, who won at Greensboro on her final throw, finished just ahead of Lena Giger (Highland, IL senior) (pictured at right)for 2nd here, with each throwing 176-7 (Gaitan had a better 2nd throw).
  • US#1, American record-holder, 2012 Olympian and 2014 USATF champ Amanda Bingson (Nike) paced the Elites at 230-2, followed by Kristin Smith (unatt.) at 224-3 and Brittany Smith (unatt.) at 221-5.
B-Discus: Davis edges Haugh
  • 194-11 boys’ discus throw by standing US#1 Carlos Davis (Blue Springs, MO junior)(pictured at lower right), edging Throw 1 Deep’s NBNO champ Daniel Haugh (St. Pius, GA senior) at 194-0.  Khalil Davis, Carlos’ twin brother, was 3rd at 182-1.
  • Jared Schuurmans (CVE) topped the Elites with a 199-10, followed by USATF runner-up Bryan Powlen (GBTC) at 199-0 and standing US#2 and 2013 USATF runnerup Russ Winger (Asics) at 198-4.
G-Discus: Phelps wins close battle
  • 149-3 girls’ discus throw by standing US#1 Kiana Phelps (Kingsley-Pierson, IA soph) (pictured at lower right), edging shot champ Raven Saunders (Burke, SC senior) at 149-1 and Lloydricia Cameron (Miami Northwestern, FL senior) at 148-6.
  • Liz Podominick (NAI), the standing at US#4 and USATF runner-up, topped Elite efforts with 199-2.  She was the 2001 adidas Outdoor shot put champ and a 4-time AOC shot and discus runner-up.  Podominick was followed by Krishna Poonia, a 2-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games champ from India, at 194-1 and Stephanie Brown-Trafton (Nike) – the American record-holder and 2008 Olympic champ, coming back from maternity – at 188-1.

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