About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop weekly!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Karim on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/coachkarim1/
Follow Karim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachkarim1

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Terrance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.m0ney98/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Name: Donavan Brazier
Sport: Track and Field
Height: 6-2
Weight: 165
DOB: 4/15/1997
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
High School: Kenowa Hills High School (Grand Rapids, Mich.) ‘15
College: Texas A&M University, College Station ‘19
Team/Club: Nike Oregon Project

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, gold (800m) - American, Championship Record
• 2019 IAAF World Relays, gold (Mixed 2x2x400m)
• 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships, H2 DQ (800m)
• 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, Semi-finalist (800m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2022 Millrose Games, 3rd (400m)
• 2021 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, first (800m) - American Record
• 2019 Toyota USATF Indoor Championships, gold (600m) - World Best, American Best
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2018 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (800m) - American Record
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials (800m)

Personal

Son of Johnny Brazier and Jennifer Pennington…Has two siblings, Dominic and Hailey…Loves fishing...Became the first American man to win a Diamond League 800m title, narrowly missing the American record with a stunning 1:42.70 come from behind win...The time was only .1 second short of the 1:42.60 American record set in 1985 by Johnny Gray and the third-fastest time ever by a U.S. runner...Set the outdoor American and World Athletics Championship record in winning gold in Doha in 1:42.32...Brazier broke the indoor American 800m record clocking 1:44.21 in February 2021 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

Follow Donavan at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donavanbrazier/
Follow Donavan at Twitter: https://twitter.com/donavanbrazier

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Name: Aleia Hobbs
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): 4x100-meter relay
Height: 5-8 DOB: 2/24/1996
Birthplace: New Orleans, La.
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
High School: McMain High School
College: Louisiana State University

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, 4x100m relay

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 World Relays, gold (4x100m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, seventh (100m)
• 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships, 6th (100m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (100m)
• 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (100m)
• 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (60m)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, 7th (100m)
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, 5th (100m)
• 2015 Pan American Junior Championships, silver (100m), gold (4x100m)
• 2015 USATF Junior (U20) Championships, silver (100m)
• 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, 6th (100m)

Personal

Full name is Aleia Jonquel Hobbs…Parents are Margaret Hobbs and Arthur Mason…Has four sisters, Aireal, Artrevia, DaJasia and Mya, and one brother, AJ…Played basketball in high school, all metro and all district honors...Majored in pre-human science and education.

Follow Aleia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleiabitofthis/
Follow Aleia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AleiaBitOfThis

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Morgan Beadlescomb (born June 1, 1998) is an American middle-distance and long-distance runner currently representing Adidas. Beadlescomb attended Algonac High School in Algonac, Michigan. He won the Lower Peninsula D2 Cross Country state finals in 2014 and 2015. On the track he was the 2015 and 2016 Lower Peninsula D2 state champions in the 1600 running 4:13 both years. After his senior year was awarded the Times Herald Male Runner of the Year. After high school he attended Michigan State University for six years earning both a bachelors and a master's degree. He had lots of athletic success at Michigan State including a 3rd pace finish at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5000m, a 2nd-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships in the Mile, and another 2nd-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships in the 5000m. In February of 2022 Beadlescomb was a last minute entry into an indoor meet in Chicago where he broke his mile PR by over 9 seconds running 3:52.03 for the 4th fastest time in NCAA history. He finished behind the Oregon Alumni Duo of Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker. In the late summer of 2022 Beadlescomb started training with Very Nice Track Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan under coach Ron Warhurst. On October 4th, 2022 he announced via an Instagram post that he had signed a contract with Adidas.

Follow Morgan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run_cymorg/

Hobbs Kessler (born 15 March 2003) is an American middle and long-distance runner. He competes professionally for Adidas, having turned professional directly after high school. He holds the North American U20 record in the 1500 meters, having run 3:34.36 at the Portland Track Festival in May 2021. He also holds the American high school record for the indoor mile, with a time of 3:57.66 set in February 2021. He was named the 2021 Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Prior his breakout running year, Hobbs was a world-class rock climber. He's stated that one of his goals is to be the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile, climb a 5.15 and a V15.

Follow Hobbs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hobbs_kessler/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Stats

Gender: Male
Born: 8/26/1998 
Hometown: Winfield, AL
High School: Winfield High School
College: Florida State University 
Event: Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field
Coach: Matthew Kane
Agent: Mark Wetmore

Career Highlights

1x World Championships Silver medallist

1x NCAA champion

1X NCAA Indoor champion

Personal

The most accomplished high school hurdler to ever sign at Florida State…broke the U20 World Record twice on his way to the 2017 New Balance Indoor National Championship in the 60-meter hurdles, running 7.40 in the final…incredibly versatile track & field athlete who in addition to the hurdles has excelled from 60-400 meters as well as the long and triple jump…is a 24-time Alabama state champion for Winfield City High School, including 20 individual titles…owns personal-bests of 6.78 (60m dash), 10.76 (100m), 13.35 (110 hurdles), 38.34 (300 hurdles) and 23-4 (long jump), among other events…was limited by injury during his senior outdoor season…also played three years of basketball and two years of cross country…member of the National Honor Society…majoring in public relations…the son of Brad and Shelly Cunningham…born Aug. 26, 1998.Personal

Follow Trey on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/treycunningham/
Follow Trey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TreyCunningham

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Subscribe to Noah on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@noahlyles18
Follow Noah on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nojo18/
Follow Noah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LylesNoah

Name: Noah Lyles
Sport: Track and Field
Discipline(s): Track and Field
Event(s): 200-meter
Height: 5-11
DOB: 7/18/1997
Birthplace: Alexandria, Va.
Hometown: Clermont, Fla.
High School: TC Williams (Alexandria, Virginia)
Team/Club: Pure Athletics
Coach(es): Lance Brauman

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, bronze (200m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2022 World Athletics Championships, Oregon, gold (200m)
• 2022 World Athletics Championships, Oregon, silver (4x100m)
• 2019 IAAF World Championships, gold (200m, 4x100m)
• 2019 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x100m)
• 2017 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x200m)
• 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, gold (100m, 4x100m)
• 2013 IAAF World U18 Championships, silver (Medley Relay)

Youth Olympics

• 2014 Youth Olympic Games, gold (200m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2022 Müller Indoor Grand Prix, gold (60m ind.)
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (200m), seventh (100m)
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (200m)
• 2019 IAAF Diamond League Champion (100m, 200m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (100m)
• 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (300m)
• 2015 Pan Am Junior (U20) Games, gold (200m)
• 2015 USATF U20 Championships, gold (100m, 200m)

Biography

The biggest challenge for the Olympic Games over the next decade will be finding a figurehead capable of shining as brightly as Usain Bolt. While it is unlikely that anyone will be able to completely match the charisma and star quality of the once-in-a-generation Jamaican – there is a sprinter who might just come close.

Noah Lyles, a 24 year-old, from Gainesville, Florida, is already running faster than Bolt did at the same age. He is dominating the 200m, where he has a fastest time of 19.50 seconds, and looks capable of becoming a 100m great too – with a fastest time of 9.86 seconds. In 2017, he set a new world record for the indoor 300m.

Lyles’ 19.50 – set in 2019 – is, incredibly, the eighth fastest time ever run. Nobody has covered half the track as quickly since Bolt and Yohan Blake at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Only Bolt, Blake and Michael Johnson have run 200m faster, ever. And he did it in a slight headwind, too.

Lyles has been on Olympic fan radars for six years, since he won the 200m gold medal for USA at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games. He then went on to confirm his potential in the Diamond League over the next few years.

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, however, he really stepped up – taking gold at the 200m and as part of the 4x100m team.

With the might of the World Championships behind him Lyles arrived at his Olympic debut as a favourite for the 200m. However, it was clear from the qualifying rounds that the American was to be tested in Tokyo.

Easing up too soon in his heats, Lyles made it through the final qualifying but only as the fastest loser. In the medal race, the man tipped for big things was pipped to the line by Andre de Grasse of Canada and compatriot Kenneth Bednarek, leaving him with the bronze.

An extrovert, songwriter and funny guy, Lyles is also brimming with the kind of personality that makes him a marketing dream.

“Yes, it’s nice to be fast, but what could take you over the top?” he said recently. “Usain Bolt, household name. Transcended the sport. Michael Phelps, swimmer, transcended the sport. What is going to take you from being just popular in track to being popular in the world? By being different or by being you. You can’t get to that point by being somebody else.”

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Craig on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/craigathor/
Follow Craig on Twitter: https://twitter.com/craigathor

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, 10th (1500m)
• 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships, seventh (1500m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 USATF Toyota Indoor Championships, bronze (1500m)
• 2019 USATF Toyota Outdoor Championships, gold (1500m)
• 2019 USATF Toyota Indoor Championships, gold (One Mile)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, 10th (1500m)
• 2018 USATF Indoor Championships, bronze (1500m)
• 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (Distance medley relay); H1 - sixth (800m)
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, bronze (1500m)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, fourth (1500m)
• 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, fourth (800m); fifth (1500m)
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, seventh (1500m)
• 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, semi-final - sixth (800m)
• 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships, H4 - sixth (800m)
• 2013 USATF Junior Championships, silver (1500m)
• 2013 Pan American Junior Championships, gold (1500m)

Personal

Son of Todd and Dawn Engels…Has a trademark mullet & mustache...owns a classic RV that he and his friends drive around the country...graduated from Ole Miss with a 3.63 GPA...earned a degree in general studies with minors in business administration, environmental studies and theater.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Raevyn on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/raealex35/
Follow Raevyn onTwitter:  https://twitter.com/theroyallife21

Name: Raevyn Rogers 
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): 800-meter
Height: 5-9
DOB: 9/7/1996
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Kinkaid School (Houston, Texas) ‘14
College: University of Oregon ‘18, Fine Arts
Coach(es): Pete Julian Olympic Experience

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, bronze (800m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Championships, silver (800m)
• 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships, fifth (800m)
• 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, H3 - sixth (800m)
• 2013 IAAF U18 Outdoor Championships, gold (medley relay); bronze (800m)

Career Highlights

• 2020 US Olympic Team Trials, silver (800m)
• 2019 USATF Toyota Outdoor Championships, bronze (800m)
• 2019 USATF Toyota Indoor Championships, silver (800m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, silver (800m)
• 2018 USATF Indoor Championships, silver (800m)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, fourth (800m)
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (800m, 4x400m Relay)
• 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2016 US Olympic Team Trials, fifth (800m)
• 2016 NACAC U23 Championships, fourth (800m)
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (800m)
• 2015 USATF Junior Championships, gold (800m)
• 2015 Pan Am Junior Championships, gold (800m, 4x400m)
• 2014 USATF Junior Championships, gold (800m)
• 2013 USATF Junior Olympics, gold (4x800m)
• 2011 USATF Junior Olympics, gold (800m)
• 2010 USATF Junior Olympics, gold (400m)
• 2009 USATF Junior Olympics, gold (800m, 400m)

Personal

Daughter to Rhonda Hunt… Began running when she was 5 years old in summer track programs… Recipient of the 2017 Bowerman Award… Named 2017 USATFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year… Grew up speaking Spanish in Texas and is now fluent… Majored in fine arts with a focus in mixed media… Hopes to get her paintings in art galleries and the MoMA…

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Gabby on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gabbythomas/
Follow Gabby on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsGabrielleT

Name: Gabrielle Thomas
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): 100-meter, 4x100-meter Relay, 200-meter
Height: 5-9 DOB: 12/7/1996
Birthplace: Atlanta, Ga.
Hometown: Northampton, Mass.
High School: The Williston Northampton School (Easthampton, Mass.) ‘15
College: Harvard University ‘19, Neurobiology Coach(es): Tonja Buford-Bailey

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, silver (4x100m), bronze (200m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 World Relays, 4x200m

Other Career Highlights

• 2022 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, first (300m)
• 2022 Millrose Games, sixth (60m)
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (200m), fifth (100m)
• 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships, SF2-third (200m)
• 2019 USATF Indoor Championships, silver (300m)
• 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, silver (200m), SF1-sixth (100m)
• 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (200m), H1-sixth (60m)
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, bronze (200m), SF1-seventh (100m)
• 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, fourth (200m)
• 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, sixth (200m), H2-sixth (100m)
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, bronze (200m)

Personal

Daughter of Jennifer Randall and Desmond Thomas… Has a twin brother named Andrew...In 2007, Randall moved the family to teach at the University of Massachusetts after completing her PhD at Emory University...Initially considered softball before joining the track and field team in high school...Was inspired to run by Allyson Felix, stating that her first memory of a track race was watching Felix while at her grandmother's house… Experienced a health scare in 2021 when an MRI revealed a benign tumor on her liver… Graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in neurobiology and global health and health policy… Pursuing a master's degree at the University of Texas at Austin in epidemiology...Qualified for Team USATF in the 200m clocking a Trials record and tied the third-fastest time in history to win in 21.61, taking over the No. 2 spot on the all-time world performer list behind Florence Griffith-Joyner… Has a pug named Rico.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Rai on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kingben/
Follow Rai on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_kingben_

Name: Rai Benjamin
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): 400-meter hurdles
Height: 6-3
DOB: 7/27/1997
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Hometown: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
High School: Mount Vernon High School (Mount Vernon, N.Y.)
College: University of Southern California, Political Science
Team/Club: Nike
Coach(es): Quincy Watts

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, gold (4x400m), silver (400m Hurdles)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Championships, gold (4x400m), silver (400m Hurdles)
• 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (400mH)
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (400mH)
• 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (400mH, 4x400m)
• 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (200m, 4x400m)
• 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (400mH, 4x400m)
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, silver (400mH, 4x400m)
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, sixth (400m)

Personal

Rai was born on July 27, 1997...He is the son of Winston Benjamin and Jeanette Mason...He is a Political Science major at USC...When he isn’t sprinting and hurdling, Rai can often be found playing Fortnite, or enjoying the LA restaurant scene...At the NCAA championships he clocked 47.02 in the 400mH final, the second-fastest time in history....In the Tokyo Olympic 400m hurdles final, the greatest and deepest race in track and field history that stunned the world, Benjamin set an American record with a 46.17 for silver behind Karston Warholm’s world record 45.94.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trckftblguy
Follow TrackingFootball.com on: https://www.instagram.com/trckfootball/
TrackingFootball.com website: https://www.trackingfootball.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Shannon on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shannonleighthompson/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

This week's guest, Dr. Jordan Hart, is an expert on the subject and has answers to all these questions and more. This episode is a MUST share with coaches, athletes and parents.. 

Website:  https://drhartdfw.wordpress.com/
Contact: AthleticEdgeChiropractic@gmail.com
Follow Dr. Hart on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DrHartDFW
Follow Athletic Edge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdgeChiro
Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrHartDFW

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Subscribe to Noah on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@noahlyles18
Follow Noah on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nojo18/
Follow Noah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LylesNoah

Name: Noah Lyles
Sport: Track and Field
Discipline(s): Track and Field
Event(s): 200-meter
Height: 5-11
DOB: 7/18/1997
Birthplace: Alexandria, Va.
Hometown: Clermont, Fla.
High School: TC Williams (Alexandria, Virginia)
Team/Club: Pure Athletics
Coach(es): Lance Brauman

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, bronze (200m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Championships, gold (200m, 4x100m)
• 2019 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x100m)
• 2017 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x200m)
• 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, gold (100m, 4x100m)
• 2013 IAAF World U18 Championships, silver (Medley Relay)

Youth Olympics

• 2014 Youth Olympic Games, gold (200m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (200m), seventh (100m)
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (200m)
• 2019 IAAF Diamond League Champion (100m, 200m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (100m)
• 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (300m)
• 2015 Pan Am Junior (U20) Games, gold (200m)
• 2015 USATF U20 Championships, gold (100m, 200m)

Personal

Parents Keisha Caine and Kevin Lyles and has a brother Josephus who is also an elite sprinter...Lyles was the 2018 USATF Jesse Owens Best Male Athlete of the Year Award recipient...Passion for music, art, video games, comics, anime, fashion...In 2019 released a song with pole vaulter Sandi Morris and performed at the Zurich Diamond League.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Subscribe to Noah on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@noahlyles18
Follow Noah on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nojo18/
Follow Noah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LylesNoah

Name: Noah Lyles
Sport: Track and Field
Discipline(s): Track and Field
Event(s): 200-meter
Height: 5-11
DOB: 7/18/1997
Birthplace: Alexandria, Va.
Hometown: Clermont, Fla.
High School: TC Williams (Alexandria, Virginia)
Team/Club: Pure Athletics
Coach(es): Lance Brauman

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, bronze (200m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Championships, gold (200m, 4x100m)
• 2019 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x100m)
• 2017 IAAF World Relays, silver (4x200m)
• 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, gold (100m, 4x100m)
• 2013 IAAF World U18 Championships, silver (Medley Relay)

Youth Olympics

• 2014 Youth Olympic Games, gold (200m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (200m), seventh (100m)
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (200m)
• 2019 IAAF Diamond League Champion (100m, 200m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (100m)
• 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (300m)
• 2015 Pan Am Junior (U20) Games, gold (200m)
• 2015 USATF U20 Championships, gold (100m, 200m)

Personal

Parents Keisha Caine and Kevin Lyles and has a brother Josephus who is also an elite sprinter...Lyles was the 2018 USATF Jesse Owens Best Male Athlete of the Year Award recipient...Passion for music, art, video games, comics, anime, fashion...In 2019 released a song with pole vaulter Sandi Morris and performed at the Zurich Diamond League.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Kyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkylebolton/
Follow Kyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KBolton_18

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Mechelle on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mechellelewisfreeman/
Follow TrackGirlz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trackgirlz/
TrackGirlz website: https://trackgirlz.org/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Keith on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mkherston/
Follow Keith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrackCoachK

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow MaryBeth on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/_mbprice/
Follow MaryBeth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mb4_price

Career Highlights

• 2022 USATF Indoor Championships, silver (60m)
• 2020 USATF Indoor Championships, sixth (60m)
• 2013 USATF Indoor Championships, eighth (60m)

Personal

Battled and overcame injury early in her career… married to decathlete, Hunter Price…

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Anna on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/annaa.hall/
Follow Anna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annaahalll

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Carl Lewis' website:  https://www.carllewis.com/
Follow Carl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carl_lewis_official/
Follow Carl on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Carl_Lewis

Events

Long Jump - 8.87 m
100 m - 9.86
200 m - 19.75

Records Held

World Record: 100 m - 9.86 (August 25, 1991)

Championships

1984 Olympics: Long Jump (1st)
1984 Olympics: 100 m (1st)
1984 Olympics: 200 m (1st)
1984 Olympics: 400 m relay (1st)
1988 Olympics: Long Jump (1st)
1988 Olympics: 100 m (1st)
1988 Olympics: 200 m (2nd)
1992 Olympics: Long Jump (1st)
1992 Olympics: 400 m relay (1st)
1996 Olympics: Long Jump (1st)
1991 World Outdoors: Long Jump - 8.87 m (2nd)
1991 World Outdoors: 100 m - 9.86 (1st)

Biography

(Source: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/carl-lewis)

Carl Lewis' achievements are unprecedented in track and field: He is one of two athletes (the other being Paavo Nurmi) to win nine Olympic gold medals. Similarly, he is one of two (the other being Al Oerter) to win four golds in the same event. He also won 10 medals, including eight golds, at the World Outdoor Championships.

Growing up in Willingboro, N.J., Lewis came from an athletic family, and yet he blossomed late in his high school career. In his senior year, he improved his personal best in the long jump by almost a foot, from 25' 9" to 26' 8" and ranked number five in the world. The following year, as a freshman at the University of Houston, he qualified for the Olympic team in the long jump. Because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Lewis had to wait four years for his Olympic glory. By 1984, he had already ranked number one in the world in both the 100 meters and long jump for three consecutive years. In Los Angeles, he matched Jesse Owens' 1936 feat with four gold medals in the same events -- the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay. Lewis' talent was matched by his longevity. At the 1988 Olympics, he won the 100 meters and long jump. In 1992, he again won the long jump as well as the 4x100m, anchoring the U.S. team to a world record of 37.40. In 1996, in his final Olympics, Lewis had a dramatic farewell, winning his fourth-consecutive gold medal in the long jump. At age 30, he had one of his greatest achievements, breaking the world 100m record with a time of 9.86 while winning the event at the 1991 World Championships. At that same meet, he had one of his greatest disappointments, losing his long jump streak of 65 consecutive victories to Mike Powell. It was an occasion on which Lewis recorded his longest jump ever -- 29' 1 1/4" -- while Powell was breaking Bob Beamon's legendary record with a jump of 29' 4 1/2".

Before Lewis' Olympic debut in 1984, the Chicago Bulls used their last draft pick on him in the 10th round though he had never played high school or college basketball. The next day, the Chicago Tribune ran down the selections calling Michael Jordan a "Potential superstar" and Carl Lewis an "Olympic trackman." Similarly, Lewis was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver in the 12th round of the 1984 NFL Draft, even though he did not play football in college.

Carl Lewis is now a full-time assistant coach at the University of Houston.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Travis on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/travismillerx13
Follow Travis on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@travismillerx13

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Marvin on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/braceyaself/
Follow Marvin in Twitter:  https://twitter.com/_BraceYaself

Name: Marvin Bracy
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): 100-meter, 4x100-meter
Height: 5-9
Weight: 171
DOB: 12/15/1993
Birthplace: Orlando, Fla.
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
High School: William R. Boone High School (Orlando, Fla.) ‘12
College: Florida State University
Coach(es): Lance Brauman 

Olympic Games

• 2016 Rio Olympic Games, SF1 - sixth (100m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2017 IAAF World Relays, H2 - silver (4x100m)
• 2016 Portland IAAF World Indoor Championships, seventh (60m)
• 2015 Beijing IAAF World Challenge, gold (100m)
• 2014 World Indoor Championships, silver (60m)

Career Highlights

• 2020 US Olympic trials, SF2 - eighth (100m)
• 2021 USATF Open, F2 - silver (100m)
• 2020 USA Indoor Championship, gold (60m)
• 2016 Eugene US Olympic Trials, bronze (100m)
• 2016 Portland USA Indoor Championships, gold (60m)
• 2015 Boston USA Indoor Championship, gold (60m)
• 2014 Albuquerque USA Indoor Championship, gold (60m)
• 2013 Fayetteville Razorback Invitational, gold (60m)
• 2012 Texas Relays, gold (100m)
• 2011 Eugene USA Junior Championships, gold (100m)
• 2011 Pan American Junior Championships, gold (100m)
• 2011 Pan American Junior Championships, gold (4x100m)
• 2010 World Junior Championships, gold (4x100m)

Personal

Son of Asa Bracy… Was a DI football player and track runner at Florida State University… Quit playing football for the Seminoles in 2013 before the National Championship game in order to pursue track professionally… Played three years in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and the Seattle Seahawks…

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow J.P. on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JpNerbun
TOC Culture Consulting website:  https://www.tocculture.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Les on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/les7spellman/
Spellman Performance website:  https://www.lesspellman.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

** Which events were Dan's favorite and why and which one was was least favorite?

**How to stay laser focused while training for the different events?

** What's life like post competing?

Follow Dan on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/danobrien96/
Follow Dan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/danobrien

Events

Decathlon - 8891 pts.

Records Held

World Record: Decathlon - 8891 pts. (September 5, 1992 – July 4, 1999)

Championships

1996 Olympic Games: Decathlon - 8824 pts. (1st)
1991 World Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8812 pts. (1st)
1993 World Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8817 pts. (1st)
1995 World Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8695 pts. (1st)
1991 USA Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8844 pts. (1st)
1993 USA Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8331 pts. (1st)
1994 USA Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8707 pts. (1st)
1995 USA Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8682 pts. (1st)
1996 USA Outdoor Championships: Decathlon - 8726 pts. (1st)

Personal

One of the finest decathletes the world has ever known, O'Brien is tied with 1968 Olympic gold medalist and fellow Hall of Famer Bill Toomey and Tom Pappas with the most U.S. national 10-event titles ever with five. O'Brien captured his own Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta with 8,824 points for his 11th consecutive decathlon win since September 1992. He avenged a no-height performance in the pole vault at the 1992 Olympic Trials - which kept him off the U.S. Olympic team - to set the then world record later in the year of 8,891 points in Talence, France, bettering his previous WR of 8,812 set in 1991.

The world decathlon champion in 1991, 1993 & 1995, O'Brien earned the year-end world #1 ranking from Track & Field News on six occasions and finished in the top ten of T&FN's World Athlete of the Year voting four times during his career. O’Brien was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2006.

Since retiring, O’Brien has worked as a TV commentator for major networks including NBC SPorts and is regularly involved with USATF as either an on-field emcee or commentator on USATF.TV. He’s also a coach, personal trainer and motivational speaker.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Kenny on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kenny_bednarek/
Follow Kenny on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kenny_bednarek

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, silver (200m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, 200m (seventh)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, silver (200m), fourth (100m)
• 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (200m)
• 2019 NJCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (400m)
• 2019 NJCAA Indoor Championships, gold (400m)
• 2017 USATF U19 Junior Olympics, silver (400m)
• 2016 USATF U19 Junior Olympics, eighth (400m)

Personal

Kenny Bednarek was born in Oklahoma on October 14, 1998...He has a fraternal twin brother named Ian...Bednarek became the second man in history and the first American to break 20 in the 200m and 45 in the 400m—on the same day...Set a new personal best 19.68 to claim silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games...In Tokyo, Bednarek presented his “Kung Fu Kenny” persona, including a polite bow.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Gerry on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/challengerstrength/
Follow Gerry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Challenger_ST
Challenger Strength website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Christian on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/taylored2jump/
Follow Christian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Taylored2jump

Name: Christian Taylor
Sport: Track and Field
Event(s): Triple Jump
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
DOB: 6/18/1990
Birthplace: Fayetteville, Ga.
Hometown: Fayettville, Ga.
High School: Sandy Creek High School (Tyrone, Ga.) ‘08
College: University of Florida, '13 Hospitality and Tourism
Coach(es): Rana Reider 

Olympic Games

• 2016 Rio Olympic Games, gold (Triple Jump)
• 2012 London Olympic Games, gold (Triple Jump)

World Athletics Championships

• Most recent: 2019 – gold
• Years of participation:
  • Outdoor: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
  • Indoor: 2012
• Medals: 5
  • Gold: 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019
  • Silver: 2012

Other Career Highlights

• 2010 NACAC U23 Championships, gold (long jump)
• 2010 NACAC U23 Championships, gold (triple jump)
• 2007 World Youth Championships, bronze (long jump)
• 2007 World Youth Championships, gold (triple jump)

Personal

Son of Ian and Stephanie Taylor...Has one sister, Kaitlyn...Scratched on his first two jumps at the London 2012 Olympic Games before delivering in dramatic fashion to win the gold medal on his final attempt, securing the best triple jump of the year two years in a row...Won the 2011 world outdoor title with the third-best American performance of all-time and was the youngest jumper to advance to the final (21)...10-time NCAA All-American and three-time NCAA champion (outdoor-2010; indoor-2009-10)...Ruptured his Achilles at a 2021 competition in Ostrava and was unable to participate in the Tokyo Olympics...Currently recovering from surgery in Austria with his fiancée, Beat Schrott, an Austrian hurdler.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Brenton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachbme
Follow Brenton on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_bme/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Buchanan Track & Field on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/buchanantrack/
Follow Buchanan Track & Field on twitter: https://twitter.com/buchanantrack
Follow Buchanan Track & Field on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuchananTrackField

Buchanan head coach Brian Weaver named US track and field coach of the year for California. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALTA SIERRA TRACK & FIELD

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Dr. Galpin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drandygalpin/
Follow Dr. Galpin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrAndyGalpin
Subscribe to Dr. Galpin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/...
Learn more at Dr. Galpin's website: https://www.andygalpin.com/

Follow Lindsay on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lindsay_flanagan24/
Follow Lindsay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/l_flanagan24

Name: Lindsay Flanagan
Sport: Track and Field
Event: Marathon
Height: 5-4Weight: 102 DOB: 1/24/1991
Birthplace: Arlington Heights, Ill.
Hometown: Roselle, Ill.
High School: Lake Park High School (Roselle, Ill.)
College: University of Washington ’14, Public Health and Anthropology

Career Highlights:

• 2015 Houston Marathon, 34th
• 2013 Big Sur Half Marathon, 4th

Personal:

Daughter of Becky and Milton Flanagan…Hobbies include spending time with friends and teammates, and watching movies.

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Mickey on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/coachmiela

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Joel on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/iamjoelbrown/
Follow Joel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IamJoelBrown
Learn more on Joel's website: https://www.iamjoelbrown.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

• Dealing w/ the ups & downs of such a brutal sport 
• Finding & creating a support system 
• Picking a college 
• Advice for your younger self 
• Traveling & race successfully?

Position: Middle Distance
Class: Graduate Student
Major: International relations
College: Stanford
High School: Palos Verdes
Hometown: Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

* Three-Time All-American *

Personal bests (thru 2017):

• 1,500: 4:11.97
• 800: 2:05.81i
• Mile: 4:40.46
• 5,000: 16:23.91
• 3,000: 9:25.48i
• 1,000: 2:43.69i

As a graduate student (2016-17):
Outdoors

• All-America first team (1,500).
• Sixth in 1,500 at NCAA Championships.
• Moved to No. 4 on Stanford's all-time list in 1,500 (4:11.97).
• USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
• U.S. Championships competitor.
• Set two lifetime bests in the 1,500 within six days of each other.

Indoors

• Anchored Stanford to distance medley relay victory at Penn State National Open.
• Ran 800 personal best of 2:05.81 to finish third at Penn State.
• Set 1,000 best by two seconds while finishing second at the UW Indoor Preview.

Cross country

• Did not compete.

As a senior (2015-16):
Outdoors

• Placed second in the 1,500 at the Pac-12 Championships, running 4:18.38.
• Led coming off final turn before being overtaken by teammate Elise Cranny.
• Set PB of 4:17.04 in finishing second in the second section of the Stumptown Twilight meet on June 23.
• Finished one spot from advancing to the NCAA Championships, by placing third in her section of the NCAA West Prelims.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.
• USTFCCCA All-Academic team.

Indoors

• Anchored Stanford to third in the DMR at the NCAA Championships.
• Ran a personal-best 1,600 split of 4:35.88.
• Anchored Stanford to the nation's No. 1 time in the DMR, to win the Penn State National.
• Her split of 4:36.0 finished off Stanford's 10:54.58, the eighth-fastest time in collegiate history.
• Held off Georgetown's Katrina Coogan to earn the victory in her first anchor leg of any relay at Stanford.
• It was her first anchor leg of any relay at Stanford.
• Won the 1,000 (2:45.28) to open the season at the UW Indoor Preview.

Cross country

• Ran one race, placing 56th at the Pac-12 Championships as the team's No. 9 runner.

As a junior (2014-15):
Outdoors

• Ran to a personal best in the 1,500 (4:17.67) at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
• Ran the first leg of the 4x1500 relay that earned Stanford its' first victory at the Penn Relays since 2006.
• Put Stanford in front with a 4:23.0 split.
• Placed eighth at Pac-12's in 4:22.43.
• Third at the Big Meet in 4:18.45.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

Indoors

• Ran one race, placing 12th in her heat of the mile (4:55.19) at the Husky Classic.

Cross country

• Placed 26th at the Pac-12 Championships, as the team's No. 5.
• Was 70th at the NCAA West Regionals, as Stanford's No. 7.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

As a sophomore (2013-14):
Outdoors

• Had a breakthrough season, dropping nearly 14 seconds off her 1,500 personal best and earning second-team All-America honors.
• Missed qualifying for the NCAA final by 0.16, placing sixth in her 1,500 semifinal and missing a qualifying spot by two places, finishing 14th overall in 4:21.63.
• Passed five runners on the final lap to nearly qualify.
• Finished third at the Pac-12 Championships, running 4:21.62.
• Set her personal 1,500 best of 4:17.82 while placing 11th in the 'B' race at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
• Was eighth in the NCAA West Prelims (4:19.20).
• Set a four-second PB in the mile by running 4:40.46 to place 10th in the Olympic Development race at the Penn Relays.
• 17th in the Pac-12 5,000 (17:05.60).
• Ran 5,000 PB of 16:23.91 while winning the third section at the Stanford Invitational.
• Third in the Big Meet 1,500.
• Named Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

Indoors

• Set a personal best in the mile by running 4:44.04 to place seventh at the MPSF Championships on March 1.
• Earlier set a PB with a winning 4:48.84 in the 'B' race of the Husky Classic on Feb. 15.
• Made collegiate indoor debut with a third-place in the 1,000 (2:46.67) and a leg on the runner-up 4x400 at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 18.Cross country

Cross country

• Member of Stanford's 11th-place NCAA team, placing 160th at nationals.
• Placed 33rd at the Pac-12 Championships, as Stanford's No. 3 runner.

As a freshman (2012-13):
Outdoors

• Ran in only one meet, making her debut by doubling at the Outdoor Opener (March 2).
• Ran 4:31.48 (third) in the 1,500 and 2:16.87 (second) in the 800.

Indoors

• Did not compete.

Cross Country:

• Placed 50th at the Pac-12 meet.

High School:

• One of the few in California history to compete in eight state meets -- four in track and four in cross country.
• California state Division III champion in cross country.
• Was second in the state in the 1,600 in 2012 (4:47.33).
• A three time participant in the Nike Cross Nationals with a best finish of 13th in 2009.
• Holds the California state record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase (7:02).
• Set seven school records at Palos Verdes, including the 800 (2:09), 1,600 (4:47.33) and 3,200 (10:25.01), along with the DMR, SMR, 4x400 and 4x1,600.
• Helped Palos Verdes to the Division III state cross-country title in 2011, a second-place finish in 2010 and third place in 2009.
• Coached in high school by Jeff Atkinson, an Olympian and Stanford's mile record holder.
• Also played soccer at Palos Verdes and was the school's Offensive Player of the Year.

Personal:

• Graduated with a bachelor's in international relations.
• Earned her master's in communication with a focus on political communication.
• Received a grant to write her senior paper: "Connecting the Drops: The Negotiation of the Indus Water Treaty,” about a water-distribution treaty signed in 1960 between enemies India and Pakistan that is said to be one of the most successful of its kind, which earned a department award.
• Won a Class of 2016 Award of Excellence.
• Finalist for the James W. Lyons award for service to the University.
• Daughter of Ajay and Jane Mehra.
• Has a younger sister, Monica.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_mehra/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Bob on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BobThurnhoffer
Follow Bob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobthurnhoffer7/
Follow Ernie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachErnieClark
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Born: May 29th, 1957 in Oxnard, California
Rio Mesa High School 1975
UCLA 1979—BA English
Graceland University 2008—MS Education

During his high school years, Brian was an all-league football player and track athlete at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard.

After graduating from UCLA in 1980, he returned to his alma mater to teach English and coach.

In his 29 years as the school’s track coach, Brian’s boys’ and girls’ teams have won 44 league titles, 5 CIF Southern Section runner-up awards, 3 CIF-SS and the girls’ State Championships, Championship in 1988. Brian has played a major role in the development of 4 outstanding Southern California female sprinters: Angela Burnham (5 state titles, twice National Female Athlete of the Year); Marion Jones (4 state titles while at Rio Mesa, National Athlete of the Year in 1991); Porchea Carroll (2nd 3rd & 4th place finishes at the State Meet); and, most recently, Valexsia Droughn (2009 State 100 Meter Champion).

All told, Brian has coached 7 of the top 9 female sprinters in Ventura County history. He was honored as the Southern Section Girls’ High School Coach of the Year in 1994, and is currently a member of the CIF-SS and California State Advisory Committees for Track & Field.

The late 1980’s saw his organizational skills come to the forefront with the birth of the Spartan Relays and his fundraising efforts to install the first all-weather track in Ventura County at Rio Mesa.

For the past 18 years, Brian has developed curriculum and been a Lead Instructor for the innovative coaching education program offered by the LA84 Foundation, and his expertise in sprint mechanics and relays has made him a speaker in high demand throughout the country.

He was inducted into both the Sunkist Indoor Invitational and Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame, and was the Oxnard Union High School District’s Teacher of the Year in 1992.

In 2005, he was honored with the ‘Outstanding Service to High School Track & Field” award at the Arcadia Invitational, and in 2009 he received the CIF Southern Section “Champions for Character” award. In his 22nd year as Athletic Director at Rio Mesa, he is currently the longest tenured AD in the County.

Brian—the great-grandson of Adolfo Camarillo-his wife Koreen, and their two sons, Michael and Patrick, make their home in the beautiful city that bears his ancestor’s name.

Follow Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/itzbfitz

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Bob on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BobThurnhoffer
Follow Bob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobthurnhoffer7/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeCunningham
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Name: David Oliver III
Sport: Track and Field
Event: 110-meter Hurdles
Height: 6-3Weight: 210 DOB: 4/24/1982
Birthplace: Denver, Colo.
Hometown: Kissimmee, Fla.
High School: East High School (Denver, Colo.) ‘00
College: Howard University ’04, Marketing

Olympic Highlights:

• Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, bronze (110-meter hurdles)

Career Highlights:

• 2008 USA Indoor champ
• Two-time NCAA All American
• 2007 USA Outdoor Champs, 3rd

Personal:

Son of David Oliver and Brenda Chambers…Has two siblings, Lee and Eboni…Has one son, Dawson…Was a two-sport athlete at Howard University, competing in both track and field, and football.

Follow David on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doliversub13/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Career Highlights

• 2022 NCAA II Indoor Championships, gold (400m, 60H)
• 2022 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (400m)
• 2021 NCAA II Outdoor Championships, gold (4x400m)
• 2021 NCAA II Indoor Championships, gold (200, 60H)
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, eighth (400H)
• 2019 NCAA II Outdoor Championships, gold (400H)

Personal

Son of Tom and Mindy Bassit. Trevor Bassitt was named the National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season. Bassitt, who hails from Bluffton, Ohio, won the national title in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 48.98, which cemented his spot as the No. 4 performer in divisional history. He also anchored Ashland to a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay. Bassitt went undefeated in the 400H this season with other victories in the elite section of the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays over a field of professional athletes as well as the Northeast Ohio Quad.

Follow Trevor on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/trevorbassitt30/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

It could be said the On Track story began when entrepreneurial inspiration struck Ron Morris, the American pole vaulter who took home a silver medal from the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Recognized as the only world–class athlete to successfully convert from steel to fiberglass poles, Ron found himself calculating change again. Following years of competition, teaching and coaching, he was uniquely qualified to make yet another career transition—this time, to serve the athletic community as a supplier of essential equipment. Considering the journey leading to his new business venture, it would be far more accurate to say it all started with a pole.

Raised in Burbank, Calif., Ron attended and competed for John Burroughs High School. As a prep vaulter, he was considered one of the hometown heroes of his day, distinguishing himself as a two–time California State Record Holder and Champion (1952, ’53), as well as the 1953 U.S. National Record Holder (13'11½"). He went on to compete for the University of Southern California, setting USC’s pole vault record, and twice making the list of NCAA All-Americans in his event.

In 1956, Ron became the sixth man ever to clear 15 feet in the pole vault, which he accomplished using a steel vaulting pole. That year marked the beginning of a decade in which Ron was ranked eight times as an AAU All-American, placing him among the top 10 in his event in the country. Ron’s ability to adapt to the new fiberglass pole made his consistently high placement possible, and in 1962 he was ranked #1 in the world. Ron’s personal best mark of 16'6" (5.03m) was recorded while on tour in Europe in 1966. In 1978, Track & Field News identified Ron as the second–best pole vaulter in history to that date, based on longevity in the event.

As assistant, and then head coach at California State University, Los Angeles, Ron spent countless hours throughout the 1960s and ’70s sourcing equipment to outfit his teams. As he eventually wound down his coaching career, Ron resolved to apply his athletic expertise (and leverage his many connections) to open his own specialty sporting goods company to “stay with the sport, and to give back to it.”

“Ron Morris’ On Track” launched humbly in the fall of 1978 with the installation of a telephone line in the founder’s home “office” (a large walk-in closet), and a modestly stocked “warehouse” (the family garage) in Burbank, Calif. The company’s very first sale was a Bob Seagren signature Pacer III vaulting pole, which would be followed by a complete line of track and field–related products, gathered from specialty suppliers or designed and assembled by Ron and his growing staff.

Guided by the motto “Excellence Through Experience,” Ron built his business around service to his California colleagues—many of whom had received instruction as physical education majors from “Professor Morris” at Cal State L.A. In time, On Track reached out to a national and international clientele through a widely distributed catalog and website. Often, Ron would provide “coaching” to those calling in for advice on merchandise, as well as personalized guidance for challenging training situations.

As his business and inventory grew, Ron would seek out successively larger locations in Burbank and neighboring Glendale, relocating a total of five times. Last year under new management, the company known as On Track & Field, Inc. made a sixth move, this time from an office/warehouse near the Hollywood Burbank Airport to its current home in Simi Valley, California.

After more than 42 years at the helm of the company he founded, Ron recently placed his business in the care of the next generation of track and field enthusiasts, enabling him to begin yet another new adventure: A well– earned retirement in Burbank! And who knows, perhaps Ron’s grandson, Fisher, will stand still long enough for some pole vault coaching from Grandpa?

Follow Ernie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachernieclark/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Some recognized him as that Eastern European gentleman who operated the little athletic shoe store in Burbank. Others assumed he was some sort of guru who supervised dawn training sessions for crazy people obsessed with running. Still others called him “Coach.” They were all correct. Many people who passed him on the street in the Los Angeles area had no idea that the senior citizen with the heavy Hungarian accent and twinkle in his eye had been in the spotlight of international athletics in his day.

Lázsló Tábori, now truly belongs to history. Last May, the third man ever to run a sub–four–minute–mile took his place at the line in that paradise wherever great middle–distance runners gather.

Perhaps they all run together again, the world–renowned middle–distance Hungarian running team of István Rozavölgyi, Sándor Iharos and László. Their coach, the uncompromising Mihály Iglói, stands trackside, clutching a silver stopwatch, the hand ticking off tenths of seconds with precision.

László was born in 1931 in southern Slovakia and was raised in northern Hungary, where his father worked at a railway station. As a youngster, László was called upon by his father to deliver messages to people a number of miles from the station. So began his running “training,” which entered a new phase during WWII as he practiced stealing food from occupying German troops, sprinting away before he could be captured.

His first official race was one sponsored by the trade school Lázsló attended. The school was attached to a shoe factory, which makes perfect sense. The 3000–meter course took runners along the bank of the Tisza River, through the fields and back into the village of Martfű. He won the race by 400 meters and he was hooked!

Fast–forward to the ’50s. László joined Honvéd Budapest, an athletic club coached by Iglói, a former national star in his own right, who attracted the best runners. Iglói included him in a successful three–man running pack that would celebrate their victories by indulging in cake, still a luxury in post–war Europe.

The Hungarian team would collectively break 23 world records, putting in question the supremacy of the English runners. Iglói’s men often ran as a coordinated team, with László leading and enabling the more experienced István Rozavölgyi, which caused some to judge László as a lesser athlete.

László proved those who underestimated him wrong, when in London’s White City Stadium, on May 28, 1955, he ran the mile in 3:39.0, beating England’s Christopher Chataway and Brian Hewson, both clocked at 3:59.8. In so doing, László became the third man—behind Roger Bannister of England (3:59.4, May, 1954) and John Landy of Australia (3:57.9, June 1954)—to run a mile in under four minutes.

László struck again on September 6, when he equaled Iharos’ world record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:40.8. He would go on to share three world records in the 4x1,500–meter relay with his teammates, as well.

On the eve of the Hungarian team’s departure for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, a nationalist struggle against Soviet domination plunged their homeland into unrest. Expectations had been high for the runners, but with the uncertainty back home, the athletes couldn't help but be distracted. The long, difficult journey Down Under also wreaked havoc with carefully measured training schedules. Miles away at the Games, László mustered a fourth–place finish in the 1,500m and only finished sixth in the 5,000m.

When the time came to fly home to Hungary, some 40 Hungarian athletes and coaches made the pivotal decision to defect to other countries to avoid communist oppression, among them, László and Iglói. With the help of their American contacts from the sporting world, the Hungarians made a new life in California. It was by no means easy, as they had once enjoyed status as state–sponsored European athletic royalty, and life would be very different in the U.S.

László would continue to compete, running under the banner of the Los Angeles Track Club, with Iglói at the helm as it’s founding coach. He retired from running in 1962, putting his drafting experience to work in industrial design for some years. He later would own and operate specialty sport shoe shops and become a coach himself, instructing collegiate–level runners at Los Angeles Valley College and the University of Southern California, and providing private coaching to those who sought him out. László also maintained an amateur runner‘s group based at Fairfax High School which met regularly for a quarter–century.

On the 50th anniversary of his sub–four feat, László‘s friends surprised him with a party, complete with a sheet cake featuring a photographic rendering of his breaking the tape that historic day in May, 1955.

Javelin thrower Cyrus Hostetler’s tight, blond crew cut, firmly–set jaw and 6'2" frame projects the classic look of an All–American… which he actually is. One might assume this 83.83m (275') thrower is one of those golden boys of sport, blessed with natural talent, good fortune and a bottomless well of support from wealthy sponsors. The truth? As talented as Cyrus is, it is clear that raw determination is at the heart of his success. Sheer grit has propelled him from his 2005 introduction to the javelin, through throwing on three college teams, claiming the #2 all–time collegiate throw by an American, competing in three U.S. Olympic Trials and, to date, appearing in two Olympic Games.

At 30, Cyrus and his 34-year-old training partner Sean Furey have become what he terms “old men” in relation to the youngsters at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., chasing the next big throw in an event known for punishing joints, tendons and ligaments to the breaking point. “I am the rehab king,” he proudly exclaims, having battled back from injuries to his UCL, ACL, MCL, rotator cuff, labrum and meniscus. “All could have been career–ending, but once I have an injury, I become an expert,” observes Cyrus, with the understanding that such setbacks are merely factors to be managed over the span of an extended athletic career.

It all started when, in his senior year, the Newberg High School letterman in football, basketball and baseball decided to try his hand at the javelin. That first year, Cyrus broke his district’s meet record with the winning throw of 60.70m (199'2"), advancing to the Oregon State meet, where he threw 201'5", a performance that in any other year might have been the state’s winning mark. As it was, he took third place that day. Cyrus went on to finish the season by beating the nation’s #1-ranked high school javelin thrower with his own personal best of 62.55m (205'2") at the 2005 USA Junior Nationals, earning Cyrus fifth place over all.

After completing his first college year at Weber State in Utah—a year marked by experimentation with the hammer and weight throw, as well as a serious injury to his elbow—Cyrus requested a release in order to move on to compete for another school.

Returning to Oregon, Cyrus enrolled at Lane Community College in Eugene, where he would earn his A.A. degree, play basketball and compete on the track team, primarily as a thrower, but also as a decathlete, under the direction of Head Track Coach Grady O’Connor and then “multis” coach Cody Fleming. After a hamstring injury forced Cyrus to focus on the javelin, he finished up at Lane by winning the 2008 NWAACC Championships with a new 73.63m PB (241'7" PR) breaking the school javelin record by 30' and earning the title of Conference Field Athlete of the year. Cyrus capped the season with an appearance at the U.S. Olympic Trials, placing 18th with a mark only a foot behind that of American record–holder Breaux Greer.

In 2009, Cyrus moved across town to the University of Oregon, when, in his words, “money fell from the sky.” Coach Lance Deal offered him a suddenly–available scholarship to cover his full tuition, enabling him to compete and pursue his undergraduate degree in architecture. It was at the U of O that Cyrus met Coach Christina Scherwin, the former Danish National Champion in the women’s javelin, a fortuitous pairing that boosted Cyrus’ performance by 30’ over the course of a single year. During his time at U of O, Coach Scherwin would guide him to setting both the school and conference men’s javelin record, winning two PAC-10 Championship titles and earning two Academic All–American rankings.

Upon graduation, Cyrus embarked upon his post–collegiate athletic career, addressing more physical challenges, and learning to balance work as a graphic artist and web designer with his rigorous training schedule. When he wasn’t working or working out, he concentrated on “pre–hab” and nutrition, further developing the cooking and baking skills he had acquired as a youngster. (It’s amazing what a well–placed dozen cookies can do to open a spot in a meet director’s crowded roster!)

Cyrus also took the initiative to launch himself into international competition, traveling to Guadalajara, Mexico, to take second place in the 2011 Pan American Games (82.24m/269'9"), and later to Denmark for a 3-week training camp prior to

While not satisfied with his first Olympic outing, Cyrus looked to improve his technique for another crack at the world. He trained hard, and gathered precious funds for intensive training in Germany and a subsequent 2014 European tour consisting of six meets. During the final competition of his trip, Cyrus threw 79.59m (261'1-1/2"), setting a meet and stadium record in Austria. taking his place on the ultimate international stage—the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

Despite having been released from the Olympic Training Center’s fully-sponsored program in 2015, last year was actually Cyrus best yet. He set his current PB (PR) in May at the Tucson Elite Classic, which earned him a berth on the U.S. Olympic Team, well before he won the Olympic Trials with a throw of 83.23m (273"). His second Olympic performance placed him 20th at the Games in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of his American teammates Sam Crouser and Sean Furey.

Born: February 18, 1989

Resides: Chula Vista, California

PB, Discus: 212' 7"/ 64.80m (2015)

PB, Shot (Indoor): 57' 9-1/2"/ 17.62m

Olympian: Rio de Janeiro, 2016

“She hated the discus!” They chuckle in remembrance. So, what happened? “IT loved HER!”

Kicking back in a couple of folding camp chairs, Angela Washington, and Coach Lloyd Higgins reminisce about On Track’s 2018 “cover athlete”—Olympian Whitney Ashley. It is a warm Southern California autumn afternoon at the University of La Verne’s discus ring, as “Whippy” spins for the camera.

Whitney was 11 when Angela signed up her daughter and two sons for youth track in an effort to promote a healthier family lifestyle. Whitney gravitated to the shot put, developing the skill that later made her the most likely recruit when her mother was tapped to coach the throwers at J.W. North High in Riverside, Calif. The pair would drive in 40 minutes each day from their Moreno Valley home—Angela, to work as an instructor for special needs students, and Whitney, off to her “job” as a high school student. During track season, they would meet at the ring after class.

With no experience, armloads of instructional videos and pure determination, mother and daughter set out to learn to coach and throw, respectively, attending camps and clinics whenever possible. “Her junior year, she fell in love with the shot,” says Angela. But having command of that four–kilo ball was only the beginning. Angela knew her 40-foot-plus shot putter could bring in even more team points by adding the discus to her repertoire, so she persisted, encouraging the high school senior to experiment with the disc, which she would throw from a standing position.

Following up on a referral for private coaching, the pair sought out Coach Higgins, a regional “guru” with a reputation for developing younger throwers. Part uncompromising mentor, part father figure, Coach Higgins introduced a new idea. Since Whitney was not yet a phenom in either her shot or standing discus throw, why not try adding the hammer to her resume in order to maximize her point–scoring value on the college scholarship market? With his guidance, Whitney learned to complete a single turn, enabling her to launch a hammer over 150 feet and become a triple event thrower—Coach Higgins’ recipe for athletic scholarship success.

“Deep down inside, she is tremendous ... she’s a go-getter in her own way, but she’s not overt,” observes Coach Higgins. “Once she’s convinced herself she can do something, she excels.”

After a stop at Cerritos College, Whitney would get that athletic scholarship to attend San Diego State University, enabling her to study for a degree in journalism. When she joined her new teammates at the SDSU ring, Coach Boldi Kocsor was amazed to learn Whitney had been able to put up numbers good enough to earn a scholarship without an established discus technique. It was there, as a redshirt athlete under Kocsor, and then Dorian Scott, she would finally learn to spin in the discus.

“Not many people know this, but we only worked on my discus for about three months before I went to Nationals,” confesses Whitney, who credits Scott for helping her build her strength through a weightlifting regimen that put a solid 20 pounds on her 5'8" frame.

Whitney proved a very good investment for SDSU. She was twice named a Division I All-American, and in 2012 she became the first SDSU athlete to bring home a national title in 26 years by taking first in the NCAA discus event with a throw of 196'-10" (59.99m), improving her previous PB by almost 14 feet. She put a big bow on her college career by setting school records in discus, hammer and indoor shot put, as well as finishing her degree in 2012.

As 2012 was also an Olympic year, Whitney’s season performance earned her a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, a chance to compete for gold in London. Whitney happens to be a grand-niece of Alice Coachman Davis, the high jumper who became the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal when she took first place in her event at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1948. While it would have made a great story for Whitney to have been able to retrace Auntie Alice’s Olympic journey, she had to settle for a disappointing 22nd place in Trial prelims, barring her from the finals.

While reflecting that it might be time to move on to preparation for a career in athletic administration, Whitney bumped into veteran Coach Art Venegas, a chance encounter that set things in motion once again. Telling her he’d watched her in warm–up and believed she had the potential to throw farther, he extended an invitation to come to work with the staff at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, where he was directing the throws program at the time. Since taking him up on the offer, she has not failed to make a U.S. World Championship or Olympic team. “He would say, ‘We are going to build that engine,’” recalls Whitney. “I went from 196 to 213 feet,” she says. “Coach Venegas wanted to equip me with the confidence and knowledge to analyze my own performance, and be able to make quick adjustments without having to rely on him.”

To date, the discus—which, admittedly, she is still learning to throw—has taken Whitney to competitions in 27 countries (don’t get her started on Swiss chocolate!), including the World Championships in Moscow (2013), Beijing (2015) and, last year, London. Her easy first–place finish in the 2016 Olympic Trials (204'2" / 62.25m) set her up for a berth on the U.S. team headed for Rio de Janeiro.

For Whitney, South America’s first Olympic Games proved to be one of those heartbreaking examples of what four years of preparation can come down to. “It began to rain extremely hard in Rio, so they delayed us,” she recalls. “We had to remain outside. My body was cold and I couldn’t find my form when they restarted the competition. It was really tough.” Unable to put up a mark, Whitney tasted a bitter reality of her sport.

What does she do when she suffers a set-back? “For me, when I have a bad day, I don’t need to care, if that makes any sense. Go home. Go out. Eat and start the next day as if it never happened...have a short-term memory when it comes to bad things so that they don’t roll over into the next practice and the next thing you know, ten, twelve bad practices and it carries on to your meets and your season just goes into the tank, and that’s happened to me before.”

Changing things up helps, too. Recently, Whitney has taken up boxing in the mornings, and that, in addition to her love of shopping and doing crafty DIY projects (her weight coach has nick-named her “Sparkle Pony” since she added bling and glitter to her lifting shoes), helps relieve the pressures of training and competition.

Her strengths? Speed and adaptability.“ I can make changes in real time.” What she needs to work on? Learning to trust that the experts know what they are talking about when they tell her she has what it takes. What advice would she impart to an 11-year-old Whitney? “Believe! If you start hearing something [good about yourself &91; enough, there is something there. I wish I’d believed in myself sooner.”

From here, Whitney will take her athletic career a year at a time. The best may be yet to come. Don’t the great ones peak in their 30s?

Follow Dr. Franklyn-Miller on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afranklynmiller
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Follow Bobby on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stroupebob/
Follow Bobby on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobbystroupe
Visit APEC website at: https://teamapec.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Follow BodhiSport on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BodhiSport
Learn more at BodhiSport's website: https://www.bodhisport.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Accolades

• All-American, outdoor 400-meter hurdles (2019)
• All-American, outdoor 110-meter hurdles (2019)

2020-21

2021 Outdoor Season

• SEC Champion in the 110m hurdles with a wind-assisted time of 13.15
• Finished fourth at the SEC Championships in the 400m hurdles, running a time of 49.86
• 400m hurdle time from the SEC Championships ranks second all-time in UA history
• Broke the Alabama program record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.28 and placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.45 at the LSU Alumni Gold
• Awarded gold in both the 110-meter hurdles (13.42) and the 4x400-meter relay (3:07.95) at the Crimson Tide Invitational
• Achieved first place in the 110-meter hurdles (13.55) and second place in the 400-meter hurdles (49.70) at the Pepsi Florida Relays
• Awarded gold in the men's 110-meter hurdles at the Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays with a time of 13.45
• Finished first in the men's 400-meter hurdles (51.67) and second in the 4x400-meter relay (3:12.88) at the Tiger Track Classic
• Awarded gold in the 110-meter hurdles (13.68) and the 400-meter hurdles (51.73) to start the season at the Jaguar Opener

2019-20

2020 Indoor Season

• Awarded gold at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter hurdles (7.65). He also competed as a part of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished eighth with a time of 3:12.53.
• Set a new career-best with his time of 7.64 in the 60-meter hurdles at the Texas Tech Shootout. Competed as a part of the Alabama 4x400-meter relay team that placed sixth with a time of 3:09.77.
• Won the 60-meter hurdles at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic with a time of 7.76.
• Finished first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.75 at the Samford Invitational.
• Finished first in the 60-meter hurdles (7.74) and was a part of the first place finish in the 4x400-meter relay (3:12.96) to start the indoor season at the UAB Blazer Invitational.

2016-18 (South Plains College)

• Won the 110-meter hurdles at the 2017 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was the runner-up in 2016
• Won the high jump at the 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
• Member of South Plains' NJCAA-champion outdoor 4x400 relay in 2016
• South Plains school record-holder in the 60-meter hurdles

Prep Highlights

• Georgia Class 6A state champion in the high jump and 300-meter hurdles as a senior in 2015
• Was also a member of his high school basketball team

Personal Information

• Son of Anthony and Cheryl Dunning
• Born June 23, 1997
• Majoring in general studies

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Tabarie Joil Henry (born 1 December 1987, in Saint Thomas) is a United States Virgin Islands sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 20.71 seconds in the 200 metres and 44.77 in the 400 metres, achieved in April 2009 in Arkansas City, Kansas and in May 2009 in Hutchinson, Kansas respectively.[1&91; He is affiliated with Barton County Community College and Texas A&M University, where he was a national champion in 2010 and 2011. He competed in the 400 metres event at the 2008 Olympic Games, but did not reach the final round. He did however achieve a personal best time of 45.19 seconds.[1&91; He also competed in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany where he placed 4th in the finals, and 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Korea where he placed 7th. In 2012 he took part in the men's 400 metres at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he placed 6th in the first heat of the semi-finals.

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Records Held

• American Record – Triple Jump – April 25, 2021 to present

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, seventh (triple jump)
• 2016 Rio Olympic Games, fourth (triple jump)

World Athletics Championships

• 2019 World Outdoor Championships, seventh (triple jump)
• 2018 World Indoor Championships, fifth (triple jump)
• 2016 WorldIndoor Championships, fourth (triple jump)
• 2014 World U20 Outdoor Championships, ninth (triple jump)
• 2013 World Youth Championships, silver (long jump), bronze (triple jump)

Career Highlights

• 2021 Diamond League Meeting, fifth (triple jump)
• 2021 Müller Grand Prix Gateshead, fifth (triple jump)
• 2021 USATF Golden Games, triple jump (silver)
• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (triple jump), seventh (long jump)
• 2019 USATF Indoor Championships, silver (triple jump)
• 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (triple jump), sixth (long jump)
• 2019 Pan American Games, silver (long jump)
• 2019 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (triple jump)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (triple jump)
• 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (long jump, triple jump)
• 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (triple jump), silver (long jump)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, gold (triple jump)
• Winner of The Bowerman Award
• 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (Triple jump)
• 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (triple jump); bronze (long jump)
• 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, gold (triple jump)
• 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (triple jump), sixth (long jump)
• 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (triple jump); fourth (long jump)
• 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, gold (triple jump); seventh (long jump)
• 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, silver (triple jump); thirteenth (long jump)
• 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships, bronze (triple jump)
• 2014 USATF Junior (U20) Championships, gold (triple jump), fourth (long jump)

Personal

Daughter to Anthony and Nicole Orji… Studied financial planning at the University of Georgia… Turned pro in 2018… Married in 2020… Has set the US triple jump record twice… Ranked 7th in the world for women’s triple jump… Founded a mentorship program for girls called Amara's Pride… KO created Amara's Pride to give young girls access to successful women they can relate to, so they can envision themselves succeeding… Professional motivational speaker and financial coach…

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Stats

Gender: Male
Born: 8/26/1998 
Hometown: Winfield, AL
High School: Winfield High School
College: Florida State University 
Event: Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field
Coach: Matthew Kane
Agent: Mark Wetmore

Career Highlights

1x World Championships Silver medallist

1x NCAA champion

1X NCAA Indoor champion

Personal

The most accomplished high school hurdler to ever sign at Florida State…broke the U20 World Record twice on his way to the 2017 New Balance Indoor National Championship in the 60-meter hurdles, running 7.40 in the final…incredibly versatile track & field athlete who in addition to the hurdles has excelled from 60-400 meters as well as the long and triple jump…is a 24-time Alabama state champion for Winfield City High School, including 20 individual titles…owns personal-bests of 6.78 (60m dash), 10.76 (100m), 13.35 (110 hurdles), 38.34 (300 hurdles) and 23-4 (long jump), among other events…was limited by injury during his senior outdoor season…also played three years of basketball and two years of cross country…member of the National Honor Society…majoring in public relations…the son of Brad and Shelly Cunningham…born Aug. 26, 1998.

Follow Trey on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/treycunningham/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Sport: Track and Field
Discipline(s): Track and Field
Event(s): Decathlon
DOB: 3/4/1994
Hometown: Saline, Mich.
High School: Saline High School (Saline, Mich.)
College: University of Michigan, General Studies

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, 10th (decathlon)

Career Highlights

• 2020 US Olympic Team Trials, silver (decathlon)
• 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships, fourth (decathlon)
• 2018 Thorpe Cup, gold (decathlon)
• 2017 NCAA DI Championships, fourth (decathlon)
• 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, fourth (decathlon)
• 2016 US Olympic Team Trials, twelfth (decathlon)
• 2013 USATF U20 Junior Championships, fourth (decathlon)

Personal

Son to Gary and Kathy Bastien… Both parents competed in track at Eastern Michigan and his father competed in the decathlon at the 1984 Olympic trials… Has one sister, Sarah… Has a decathlon personal best of 8,485 points… Studied biomechanics at UM…

Follow Steven on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevencletebastien/
Follow Steven on Twitter: https://twitter.com/steven_bastien

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Follow J.T. on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachJTAyers
Visit Coach Ayers Performance's website: https://www.coachayers.com/

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Follow Kurt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkurthines/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Name: Ronnie Baker
Sport: Track and Field
Discipline(s): Track and Field
Event(s): 100-meter, 4x100-meter relay
Height: 5-10
DOB: 10/15/1993
Birthplace: Louisville, Ky.
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
High School: Ballard High School (Louisville, Ky.)
College: Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, Texas) ’16
Team/Club: Nike

Olympic Games

• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, fifth (100m)

World Athletics Championships

• 2018 IAAF Indoor Championships, bronze (60m)
• 2017 IAAF World Relays, gold (4x100m)

Other Career Highlights

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, silver (100m)
• 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships, fifth (100m)
• 2018 USATF Indoor Championships, silver (60m)
• 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, silver (100m)
• 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, gold (60m)
• 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (60m)
• 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold (60m)
• 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships, seventh (100m)
• 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships, silver (100m)

Personal

Son of Ronald and Lachelle Baker…Twice named Gatorade Kentucky Track and Field athlete of the year after winning 100m and 400m at 3A state meet…Kinesiology major at TCU.

Follow Ronnie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronnie_baker14/
Follow Ronnie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronnie_baker14

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael_boyle1959/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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Follow JB Marin on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jb.morin.1/
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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly  On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

Subscribe to the podcast: podcasters.spotify.com

Dear Friend of On Track,

As we enter yet another Olympic year, I cannot help but reflect upon the rich history we, as track and field athletes, coaches and officials share. Each of us keeps a spark of the original flame of mankind’s first sport alive in our pursuit of athletics.

The world will return to Tokyo this summer, 56 years from the city’s first turn at hosting the international celebration of sport. About this time that very year, I had already participated in the 1960 Olympic Games and was looking forward to an attempt at making the next U.S. team bound for Japan. It would be the first Olympics to feature the new, flexible fiberglass pole vaulting pole in competition, and I had successfully made the switch from steel a couple of years before.

If you know your track and field history, regrettably, a second Olympic appearance was not to be for me. Fred Hansen, John Pennel and Billy Pemelton represented the U.S. in the pole vault, with Fred winning gold by clearing a Olympic record–setting height of 5.10m (16'8-3/4"). As you might imagine, more than once I have looked back upon that year of preparation, knowing I was up to the challenge, but realizing that in the end, it was all about timing. When it comes to our sport in the United States, everything comes down to that final performance at the national Olympic Trials.

This year, we feature 2020 Tokyo Olympic hopeful Conor McCullough on our cover, and we wish him the best in his quest to perform to his highest potential as he enters the outdoor season. Likewise, we extend to you, our many treasured patrons, our hope that the year ahead rewards you abundantly for your efforts. We’ll be here for you, offering to help you realize your Excellence Through our Experience!

Sincerely,

Ron Morris

Founder, On Track & Field, Inc.

Lynn Swann, the University of Southern California’s athletic director, recently reminded those assembled at the school’s annual “Out of the Blocks” track banquet just how important a single point can be. He began his praise of the newly–crowned 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Champions by acknowledging Madisen Richards. It was Mady who put up the team’s very first point with her eighth–place long jump PB of 21' 2-1/2" (6.42m) on Eugene’s Hayward Field. At that time, the casual observer might never have imagined how critical that single point from the lithe co-ed would become.

While most would fixate on the white–knuckle, come–from–behind 4x400m finish courtesy of Kyra Constantine, Anna Cockrell, Deanna Hill and Kendall Ellis, that win still would not have been enough to clinch the team victory. Only two points separated the top three finishing teams of USC (53 points), Georgia (52) and Stanford (51).

USC’s Coach Caryl Smith Gilbert reflects on the import of Mady’s contribution to the team effort: “It was absolutely awesome. We would have ended up in a tie, without that one point.

“The championship usually comes down to the unexpected point that someone digs down deep to get," observes Coach Smith Gilbert. “Character works hard, is consistent, and really, really loves the sport. Mady has great, great character… when she falls down, she gets back up and does what she needs to do.”

Years of preparation had gone into Mady’s golden point. The pre–med student athlete got her start in youth track at the age of seven, sprinting, and then long jumping for the Simi Valley Running Rebels. “I was super competitive as a little kid,” recalls Mady, who, at ten, set a goal of jumping 13' and pursued it intensely, hurrying home after Saturday dual meets to check the database for results from around the conference.

Mady learned how to set and achieve her goals. She also learned that often, success did not come without old–fashioned hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity. Although her high school athletic career started out with a California Interscholastic Federation team title in her sophomore year, Mady struggled through a “horrible” junior year. “I did not make it out of CIF prelims, I was so upset,” she says.“ I didn't even make it to State.”

Mady was able to break the curse, coming back in her senior year to qualify for State. “I wanted to make it to the podium… I made fifth and got it. I was about 5'4" and not even 100 pounds,” she says. “I didn't have a lot of power because I was super–tiny.” All in all, Mady racked up a total of two Ventura County titles, three Marmonte League titles and a PB of 19' 7-1/2" (5.98m) by the time she graduated with honors (4.0+) from Simi Valley High School in 2014.

At USC, Mady’s pattern became eerily similar to that of her high school experience. She won her very first collegiate meet, the CSULA Invitational, and later that first season re-set her PB with a jump of 20' 1-3/4" at the Florida Relays. Then, sophomore year, another set–back: Mady was warming up before her event at the Washington indoor meet, and on the fourth or fifth pop-up, an audible “snap” signaled a broken fibula that would confine her to a boot for six weeks and take her out for most of that season. Junior year found Mady still dealing with the psychological aspects of attempting a come-back, but she kept pushing forward, determined to rise.

Finally, after finding a training program that clicked for her, Mady was back in the game, opening her final collegiate outdoor season with six PBs in her first outing. She would go on to finish second in the PAC-12 Championships, and earn her All-American designation with that eighth-place NCAA ranking and that one, valuable point.

Under the guidance of Coach Jeremy Fischer, Mady currently lives and trains among the stars at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. With training partners like Brittney Reese, Kylie Price, Aasha Marler and Danylle Kurywchak, Mady is well positioned to progress toward her next goals: Berths on the next U.S. World Championship and Olympic teams.

Don Bragg

A powerful athlete with impressive biceps, Don Bragg was large, brash and wore his heart on his sleeve.

Standing 6'3" and weighing in at 197 pounds, he was big for a pole vaulter. His size was particularly notable, as so much of the technique associated with the event at that time was reliant on gymnastic ability necessary to maneuver the athlete over the crossbar using the straight metal poles of the day. He took particular care not to gain weight in order to avoid damaging his aluminum alloy pole.

From a very early age, Don had the daring of a vaulter. As family lore tells it, the New Jersey native grew up enthralled by the Tarzan films of his youth, inspiring the youngster to create his own “Tarzanville” in the neighboring woods, a creation complete with rope swings he used to reenact the stunts he had seen his hero execute. From there, it was only natural the conditioning from his play would be applied to his early attempts at using bamboo rods to jump over canals, and then clotheslines. He carried his adopted Tarzan persona throughout his life, first to promote his dream of portraying the character on film, and in later years as his calling card.

As a sophomore at Penns Grove High School, Don met Bob Richards, the acclaimed pole vaulter of his day. With Richards’ encouragement, Don committed to formally pursuing the vault, determined to become the best in the world. He was eventually recruited by famed track coach “Jumbo” Elliot to attend Villanova University and quickly rose to the top of his event, becoming the NCAA pole vault champion in 1955.

Don was particularly successful in indoor competition. He tied for first place twice in the AAU Indoor Championships, and then won the event from 1959 through 1961. In 1957, Don broke Cornelius “Dutch” Warmerdam’s 16–year–old world indoor record in Philadelphia with a jump of 15'9-1/2".

Injury kept Don from qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 1956, but at the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials, Don set the world outdoor record (15'9-1/4"), making his the final record set in competition during what is known as pole vault’s “Metal Era.” This performance earned him a ticket to Rome, where he and OnTrack founder Ron Morris battled on an international stage, locked in a six–and–a–half–hour duel for the gold medal. When the competition ended, Don’s 15'5-1/8" mark won the day, pushing the Olympic record for the event nearly six inches past the one set by Richards in 1956. Don celebrated by letting out his signature Tarzan yell.

After retiring from competition, Don’s imagination and inventive nature continued to take him on an eclectic journey through life including travel as a “goodwill ambassador” for the U.S. State Department, running a camp—dubbed “Kamp Olympik”— for inner city children with his wife, Theresa, writing poetry and books, and even opening a kayak rental business. During one of his more conventional phases, he spent a decade in service to Stockton University of New Jersey as the school’s athletic director.

Don “Tarzan” Bragg departed in February of 2019, at the age of 83, after suffering a series of health issues. The spirit of this remarkable athlete will live on through the large, loving family he and Theresa created, as well as the many people whose lives he touched.

Hans Lagerqvist

Hans Lagerqvist (“Hasse” to many of his friends) was a bit of a late bloomer, according to his long–time friend, Tom Ecker. “Hans and I met a the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm in July, 1964. I was a visiting American coach and he was a 24-year-old Swedish pole vaulter,” recalls Ecker. “Since most American pole vaulters were retired after _ nishing college, I figured he was too old to be pole vaulting. But he was such a nice guy, I decided to work with him anyway.

“He had trouble keeping his legs up before reaching the crossbar, so we put the bar up to 17 feet and had him repeatedly vault and kick the crossbar with his feet. Little did I know that Hans would be clearing the crossbar at 17 feet with his entire body a few years later,” says Ecker, who extended an offer to train the young vaulter, on the condition he could get himself to Bowling Green, where Ecker coached the track team at Western Kentucky University.

Hans took Ecker up on the offer, showing up for some summer training with a discus thrower friend, and so began 56 years of friendship, with the two men managing to meet somewhere in the world at least once a year, until both men’s health prevented them from doing so in 2019. (When Ecker’s biography Wherever I Choose is published later this year, Hans will be prominently featured.)

Back home in Sweden, Hans trained with Kjell Isaksson, the vaulter who, in 1972, set and re–set his event’s world record three times. The two athletes were as close as brothers, living in the same neighborhood in a suburb of Stockholm. Together, they started a small importing business (“Lager-Isak”) for the purpose of supplying pole vault equipment to their fellow vaulters.

Hans recorded his personal best mark at the 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships when he vaulted 5.40m (17’ 8-1/2”) at the age of 32. While he equaled his competition’s winning vault, Hans came in second to Wolfgang Nordwig based on attempts. In addition to the two Swedish national titles, and the many records he held, Hans represented his country at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, finishing seventh. When his career as an “elite vaulter” ended, Hans continued to participate in World Masters pole vault competition, setting world records in three age group categories, and winning 11 world titles from 1981 to 2015.

Hans’ friendly, open personality made him a natural ambassador of the pole vault. He traveled widely, and gathered many close friends along the way, among them, OnTrack’s Ron Morris. Over the years, the two vaulters would exchange hospitality, playing host to each other during their visits to Sweden and California. “I met him in 1963 while in Europe that summer, and I gave him one of my fiberglass poles when I left for home,” remembers Morris. “He would show up at a meet with his great smile and offer personal help to each of his competitors.”

Hans had a particular fondness for developing vaulters, and in his effort to share his knowledge with them, he wrote and published a book on the event which has served to keep Swedish vaulters competitive on the European sport scene. In his later years, Hans had the opportunity to work with Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the young American–born vaulting phenom who is expected to represent Sweden at the 2020 Olympic Games.

As Hans could not live by pole vault alone, he maintained a traditional career, along with the rest of the amateur athletes of the day. Educated at the Royal Institute of Stockholm, Hans worked as a civil engineer engaged in surveying and appraising properties on behalf of the Swedish government. In the course of his work, he was able to survey many of the islands in the Stockholm archipelago, as well as helping in the negotiation to compensate landowners for their property slated for public works projects.

A confirmed bachelor for much of his life, Hans seemed to have met his match in Yvonne Norrbom, a vivacious retired surgical nurse and one–time athlete to whom he was engaged. Together, they traveled to Hans’ competitions and pursued an active, healthy lifestyle. When Hans suffered a cerebral hemorrhage resulting from brain tumors last year, Yvonne cared for him faithfully until cancer took him from us last July.

Height: 6' 5"

Hometown: Canoga Park, California

Resides: Culver City, California

PB, Hammer: 78.14m / 256'4"

(Note: This spotlight was written in December of 2019, prior to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games.)

It’s been more than a decade, and here we are, back at the ring at Moorpark College with hammer thrower Conor McCullough. When he walked in the door at On Track looking for wires this past summer, we did a “double-take,” barely believing this was the same person we photographed for our 2009 On Track catalog cover. That was a high school boy. Standing before us, fresh from clinching the USATF hammer throw title with a personal best throw of 256'4" (78.14m), was a fully formed Olympian!

Last time we had him in our view finder, Conor was a Chaminade College Prep senior who had set the national high school record by hurling a 12–pound hammer 260'(79.2m), looking ahead to a college career. He already had an IAAF World Junior Championship second–place finish under his belt, not yet knowing he was destined to nab the gold medal at the 2010 event with a throw of 80.79m (265'), a feat that would set both a national junior and championship record in the process.

As it turns out, that fresh-faced kid would leave the Southern California home he shared with his father—the Irish Olympian (1984, ’88) also known as Conor McCullough—and younger brother, Brian, to begin the next phase of his education at Princeton University. Under the supervision of Coach Fred Samara, young Conor followed a training regime very similar to that set out for him by his hammer thrower father and “Coach Mac” (Bob MacKay), who helped him with his shot and discus.

As Conor describes it, “a combination of factors” conspired to complicate his Ivy League experience. “The experience was really good, the team was great, the coaches were great,” says Conor. “Trying to train at a really high level and achieve success in the classroom were a challenge. And then my dad got hurt,” he says, reflecting on a family crisis that brought Conor back home to oversee a year and a half of his father’s post–surgical rehabilitation.

With his father sidelined, Conor stepped in to take the lead in their single parent home as a surrogate father to Brian, helping his younger brother with those things his father had once been able to handle.

Eventually, Conor ended up transferring to the University of Southern California, where he says he was welcomed with open arms by the team’s throwing coach, Dan Lange. “When USC decided to take me on, I wasn’t eligible, so they took a risk,” says Conor. “I had to appeal to the NCAA and explain the whole situation and demonstrate that at USC, I was making things work. They did say ‘yes’ after some time, and I got a sixth year of eligibility. I was grateful that I was able to win a National Championship for [USC&91; and make it worth their while.” 

Having previously stepped up to the heavier senior implement, Conor won that 2015 NCAA title with a throw of 76.91m (252'4"), besting his nearest competition by more than 17 feet. The next month, he participated in the Pan American Games, earning a bronze metal, behind his U.S. teammate Kibwe Johnson and Roberto Janet of Cuba.

In 2016, Conor’s hard work paid off again. Having finished out of the medals during his 2012 Olympic Trials debut, Conor was vindicated four years later when he secured a berth on the U.S. national team with a throw of 243'4". At the time, he was short of the Olympic qualifying standard, but ultimately was able to compete in Rio de Janeiro. Marching into the stadium behind the highly decorated Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is among Conor’s most cherished memories. “I sacrificed a lot to do that,” recalls Conor. “It was a great moment, one I’ll never forget, and it was after almost 48 hours of travel to get there.”

While Conor was making the long trip from Los Angeles to the Olympic Games by way of Houston—where the U.S. team was fitted for their team uniforms—Conor’s father and brother were breathlessly waiting to see if a hastily organized “GoFundMe” campaign initiated by a family friend would come up with the money for Team McCullough to share the Olympic experience together. By the time Conor landed at the airport in Rio, his family back home had what they needed to join him.