For the first time in the five-year history of the USATF Throws Festival, all 16 field events are expected to be contested Saturday at Roy P. Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., with the men’s triple jump starting the elite schedule at 2 p.m. MST and the women’s shot put showcased as the final event at 8:25 p.m. MST.
Six returning winners from last year’s World Athletics Silver Label event are entered and scheduled to participate Saturday, including the top performers from both hammer throw competitions in American athletes Brooke Andersen and Daniel Haugh.
Gabi Jacobs also returns in the women’s discus throw, as does fellow American competitor Vashti Cunningham in the high jump, Jamaican national record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd in the women’s shot put and Australian men’s javelin thrower Cameron McEntyre.
There will also be eight throwing events – discus, hammer, javelin and shot put in both genders – being highlighted beginning at 3 p.m. MST Thursday at Drachman Stadium as part of the annual Tucson Elite Classic.
The same eight throwing competitions will also be held starting at 10 a.m. MST Saturday morning to conclude the Tucson Elite Classic, before the USATF Throws Festival secures the afternoon spotlight.
Three athletes with entry marks surpassing the 17-meter barrier lead the men’s triple jump field, with American competitor Russell Robinson and Jamaican performer Jordan Scott both at 56-2.75 (17.14m) and Jah-Nhai Perinchief of Bermuda at 56-2.50 (17.13m).
Donald Scott and Will Claye, both American standouts, are also expected to participate in the event, which is new to the meet schedule this year.
A pair of individuals with 19-foot entry marks highlight the men’s pole vault, as Zach Bradford at 19-4.75 (5.91m), along with Tray Oates and his 19-1 (5.82m) clearance lead the way.
For the first time since 2017, American record holder Valarie Allman is scheduled to return to Tucson to compete in the women’s discus throw.
Allman produced a 241-2 (73.52m) performance April 12 at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona to improve on her own U.S. record and elevate to the No. 6 all-time global competitor.
Allman, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is expected to be joined in the field by 2023 World champion Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, plus fellow American entries Veronica Fraley – an Olympian in Paris – and Jacobs, who won last year with a throw of 202-9 (61.80m).
Haugh, who prevailed last year in the men’s hammer throw with a 259-2 (79.01m) effort, has surpassed the 80-meter mark in his career.
Haugh is scheduled to be joined in the competition by American record holder Rudy Winkler, who achieved a 271-4 (82.71m) performance in 2021 in Oregon, along with fellow U.S. athletes Justin Stafford and Tyler Williams, both with entry marks surpassing 250 feet.
The women’s triple jump is also one of the four events added to this year’s schedule, with Cuban competitor Davisleydi Velazco leading all entries at 47-1.50 (14.36m).
Arianna Fisher is the top American competitor at 46-1.50 (14.06m), followed by Lexi Ellis at 45-10 (13.97m), with Jamaican athlete Imani Oliver at 45-8.50 (13.93m).
A trio of U.S. standouts lead the men’s discus throw field, with Reggie Jagers III at 226-11 (69.16m), Marcus Gustaveson at 224-4 (68.39m) and Andrew Evans at 223-4 (68.09m) all entered.
Five of the all-time American women’s hammer throw standouts are part of a deep field, with Andersen returning following a victorious 262-2 (79.92m) effort last year.
Andersen, the 2022 World champion, is expected to be joined by American record holder and 2019 World Championships gold medalist DeAnna Price, two-time global medalist Janee’ Kassanavoid, last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials winner Annette Echikunwoke and Rachel Richeson.
Emily Grove is the lone 15-foot performer in the women’s pole vault field, clearing 15-3 (4.65m), with fellow American competitor Kristen Leland at 14-11.50 (4.56m) and Italian performer Virgi Scardanzan at 14-7.25 (4.45m) also participating.
Charity Hufnagel, the reigning U.S. Olympic Trials winner in the women’s high jump, and 15-time national champion Cunningham join University of Arizona All-American Emma Gates as part of the field.
Cunningham won last year’s competition with a 6-2.75 (1.90m) clearance.
The women’s long jump also returns to the meet schedule, with 2022 winner Ese Brume of Nigeria leading the lineup that also includes American athletes Quanesha Burks and Nicole Warwick, all with entry marks surpassing 22 feet.
Lianna Davidson, an Australian standout and three-time Southeastern Conference champion representing Georgia, highlights the women’s javelin throw competition.
Davidson ascended to the No. 3 all-time collegiate thrower at 209-4 (63.79m) on March 22 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational at Georgia Tech.
Fellow Australian entry Alexandra Roberts is also expected to compete, along with U.S. standout Madison Wiltrout at 200-8 (61.17m).
Josh Awotunde is the top American performer in the men’s shot put field at 69-11 (21.31m) and is scheduled to be joined by Uziel Munoz from Mexico at 69-7.50 (21.22m) and Irish competitor Eric Favors at 68-8 (20.93m).
The U.S. trio of Earnest Sears, Eli Kosiba and Darius Carbin are all entered at 7-6.50 (2.30m) in the men’s high jump, with fellow American competitor Corvell Todd at 7-6 (2.29m).
McEntyre, another Australian javelin standout, returns to Tucson after winning last year with a throw of 267-7 (81.56m).
McEntyre is scheduled to be joined by a deep group of American challengers in Marc Anthony Minichello, Donavon Banks, Jordan Davis and 2023 meet winner Curtis Thompson, as well as Icelandic star Sindri Gudmundsson and Georgia standout Moustafa Alsherif, representing Egypt, with all of them surpassing the 80-meter mark.
The men’s long jump is the final event added to this year’s meet schedule, with Laquan Nairn from the Bahamas and Shawn-D Thompson of Jamaica both among the top entries at 26-11.75 (8.22m).
Will Williams, Cameron Crump, Steffin McCarter and Jeremiah Davis are all American athletes with 8-meter performances expected to jump.
Thomas-Dodd was the top competitor last year in the women’s shot put at 61-11 (18.87m), but she boasts a career-best 64-10.50 (19.77m) effort.
Thomas-Dodd is scheduled to be joined by a pair of Olympians in American athletes Jaida Ross and Raven Saunders, in addition to former U.S. indoor and outdoor winner along with World Championships qualifier Maggie Ewen.
Ross, a former Oregon star, is the only competitor in the field to surpass the 20-meter barrier in her career at 65-7.75 (20.01m).
– Erik Boal
