Missouri
USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Cantwell Claims USATF Shot Put Title
6/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
June 27, 2010
Shot Put Results | Watch Cantwell's Event-Winning Throw
DES MOINES, Iowa - Former Tiger Christian Cantwell won the USA Track & Field (USATF) shot put title on Sunday (June 27) after throwing 21.65m (71-0 ½) at Drake Stadium. The USATF title is the sixth career nod for Cantwell and his third career outdoor title. It is also his second straight outdoor title as he won the event in 2009 as well.
Cantwell entered the competition as the top overall seed with his world-leading throw of 22.35m (73-4), but the field at Drake Stadium was very competitive - Cantwell was one of three throwers in the competition to have thrown at least 72 feet this season. Cantwell opened the competition with a throw of 21.29m (69-10 ¼), a mark that no thrower surpassed in the first round of throws. In his second attempt, Cantwell launched his event-winning throw of 21.65m (71-0 ½). He then threw better than 21.00m in each of his next three attempts, but none of the throws surpassed his second-round throw.
Despite having the top three throwers in the world in the competition, Cantwell was the only competitor to break the 70-foot barrier on Sunday. In fact, Cory Martin and Ryan Whiting, who many perceived as Cantwell's top competition at the meet, combined to commit nine fouls in their 12 throws as the two finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Reese Hoffa, who Cantwell topped earlier this season at the Drake Relays, finished second in the event with a throw of 21.33m (69-11 ¾).
Cantwell's event-winning mark of 21.65m (71-0 ½) is his third-best effort at the USATF Outdoor Championships. His best was 21.82m (71-7 ¼), which he set while winning the event last season. Since 2003, Cantwell has not finished lower than fifth in the shot put at the USATF Championships (indoor and outdoor) and he has finished in the top three four times.
In all, Cantwell's six USATF titles are the most by any Mizzou track & field athlete in the history of the program as he has now doubled former Tiger Bill Bangert, who claimed three shot put titles from 1945 through 1946. Overall, Cantwell's title on Sunday gives the Mizzou track and field program 17 overall USATF Champion and seven since 2000. In all, nine of those 17 titles have come in the shot put.
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