Delsea graduate Josh Awotunde uncorked the No. 2 shot put throw in the world this year and No. 20 throw in U.S. history in a meet in Louisville.
Awotunde popped a throw of 70-7 1/2 on his third attempt at the American Track League event at the Norton Sports Complex in Louisville. He won the event by about a foot over Darrell Hill, who was second with an indoor PR of his own at 69-6 ½.
Awotunde came into the meet with an indoor PR of 69-11 ¾ from a meet during the 2018 season at College Station, Texas.
In Louisville, he opened with a PR 70-2 ½ and then a 69-1 ¾ before the 70-7 ½ bomb on his third attempt. After a 69-2 ½, he fouled on his to final attempts. He averaged 69-9 ½ on his four legal throws, so his average throw was only two inches off his indoor lifetime best coming into the meet.
Awotunde now ranks No. 2 in the world behind Darlan Romani of Brazil, who threw 71-2 ¾ at a meet this weekend in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
On the all-time IAAF world list, the 26-year-old Awotunde ranks No. 38.
Awotunde’s throw extends his own all-time New Jersey alumni indoor record. The previous record belonged to Morristown graduate Nick Vena, who threw 67-8 ½ in a meet at Monmouth University in West Long Branch in January of 2018.
Outdoors, Awotunde has a PR of 72-2 from Meeting Città di Padova at
Stadio Colbachini in Padova, Italy, in September. That’s No. 15 in U.S. history.
Awotunde, a Franklinville native, was an All-America at South Carolina. He placed 5th at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials with a throw of 71-8.
He’s scheduled to compete at the USATF Indoor Nationals at the Podium in Spokane, Wash., this coming weekend. U.S. Nationals this year are a qualifier for the World Championships, scheduled for March 18-20 at Štark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.
The top two finishers in Spokane will represent the U.S. in Belgrade as long as they’ve met the world qualifying standard. For the shot put, it’s 69-2 ½, which Awotunde has already met.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 