From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Down to his final attempt at U.S. Nationals and sitting in 4^th place, Josh Awotunde bombed the best shot put throw of his life to win his first U.S. title.

Awotunde, a 2013 Delsea graduate, had a best throw of 70-7 ¾ through five rounds before unleashing the throw of his life, 73-8 ¾ to move into first at Heyward Field in Eugene, Ore.

That’s No. 17 in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history. It’s No. 3 in the world this year and No. 2 among U.S. throwers.

Awotunde is the first U.S. shot put champion from New Jersey in 83 years, since Dickinson High graduate and war hero Al Blozis won his 3^rd in a row in 1942.

Awotunde’s previous best throw was a 73-1 ½ at the same facility when he placed 3^rd at the 2022 World Championships.

Awotunde previously placed 7^th in 2018, 5^th in 2019 and 2021, 3^rd in 2022 and 2^nd in 2023.

Only six-time champion Ryan Crouser and two-time champ Joe Kovacs have ever thrown farther in a meet that began in 1876. His 73-1 ½ is the 8^th-best throw in meet history.

With Curtis Thompson of Florence winning the javelin, South Jersey athletes won two of the four men’s throwing events. Both will represent the U.S. at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, as will Rancocas Valley’s Erika Kemp in the marathon.

This will be Thompson’s second trip to the World Champions. He competed in Budapest in 2023. He also made the U.S. teams that competed in the Olympis in 2021  in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris. Awotunde placed 3^rdat Worlds in 2022.

Thompson and Awotunde are the 48th and 49th U.S. champions from South Jersey since Almonesson’s Mel Sheppard started it all in 1906.

Awotunde opened with a 69-2 ½ and two fouls and was sitting in 4^th going into the finals. He threw 69-8 ¾ on his 4^th attempt and dropped to 5^th place. A 70-7 ¾ on his 5^th attempt moved him back into 4^th before his monster 73-8 ¾, which moved him 4 ¾ inches ahead of leader Payton Otterdahl and into the lead. Moments later, he was a national champion.

Otterdahl finished 2^nd with a season-best 73-4, and Tripp Piperi was third with a lifetime-best 73-1 ¾ after taking the lead earlier in the final round.

All three are well over the World Championships standard of 70-6 ¼ and will represent the U.S. in Tokyo. The shot put is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13, with qualifying at 9:55 p.m. and the final the next morning at 8:10 a.m.

The only athletes in the world who have thrown farther this year than Awotunde are Leonardo Fabbri of Italy, who hit  74-10 1/2 Sunday in the Italian Championships in Caorle, Italy, and Kovacs, who threw 73-9 at the Prefontaine Invitational at Heyward Field last month. Kovacs was 4th in Eugene Sunday at 72-5.

Here’s a look at all the 73-foot throws in U.S. Championships history:
76-8 ¼ … Ryan Crouser, 2021 [1^st]
75-10 ¼ …….. Crouser, 2022 [1^st]
75-0 ½ … Joe Kovacs, 2022 [2^nd]
75-0 …….. Crouser, 2023 [1^st]
74-11 …….. Crouser, 2024 [1^st]
74-3 ¾ …….. Crouser, 2017 [1^st]
74-2 ½ …….. Crouser, 2019 [1^st]
73-8 ¾ … Josh Awotunde, 2025 [1^st]
73-7 …….. Kovacs, 2024 [2^nd]
73-4 … Payton Otterdahl, 2025 [2^nd]
73-4 …….. Kovacs, 2017 [2^nd]
73-3 ½ …….. Kovacs, 2021 [2^nd]
73-2 ½ …….. Kovacs, 2019 [2^nd]
73-1 ¾ … Tripp Piperi, 2025 [3^rd]
73-0 …..… Otterdahl, 2024 [3^rd]

All-Time Josh Awotunde 70-Foot Throws
73-8 ¾ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., Aug. 3, 2025 [6^th throw] [1^st]
73-1 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [5th throw] [3rd]
72-11 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
72-10 ¾ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [6th throw] [—]
72-6 ¼ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 9, 2023 [4th throw] [2nd]
71-3 ½ … Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića, Fountains, Zagreb [N/A/] [3rd]
71-2 ¼ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
72-2 … Meeting Città di Padova, Stadio Colbachini, Padovad, Poland, Sept. 5, 2021 [N/A] [place]
71-8 … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 18, 2021 [6th throw] (5th place]
71-5  ¼ … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 22, 2024 [[5th place]
71-2 ¼ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [3rd throw] (5th)
71-2 ¼ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [4th throw] (3rd)
71-1 ½ … Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021 [6th throw] [2nd place]
70-11 ¾ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [5th throw] [2nd]
70-11 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [5th throw) [2nd]
70-10 ¾ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [4th throw) [—]
70-10 ¾ … Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland, July 16, 2023 [5th]
70-7 ¾ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., Aug. 3, 2025 [6^th throw] [1^st]
70-7 ½ … Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore., May 25, 2024 [3rd throw] [4th ]
70-7 … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., June 27, 2022 [3rd throw] [3rd]
70-6 ½ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [6th throw] [—]
70-6 ¼ … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [3rd throw] [1st]
70-3 ¾ … Ed Murphey Classic, Memphis, Tenn., July 12, 2025 [3^rd throw] [3^rd]
70-3 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [3rd throw] [—]
70-2 ½ … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
70-2 ½ … Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore., May 25, 2024 [5th throw] [—]
70-2 ½ … USATF Throws Fest, Tucson, Ariz., May 24, 2025 [1st throw] [1st]
70-2 ¼ … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [1st throw] [4th]
70-1 ¾ … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [2nd throw] [-]
70-0 ½ … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów [N/A] [3rd]
70-0 ¼ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
70-0 ¼ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]

Here’s a look at every U.S. champion from South Jersey:
2025
Curtis Thompson [Florence], 1st, Javelin [275-2]
Josh Awotunde [Delsea], Shot Put [73-8 ¾]
2024
Curtis Thompson [Florence], 1st, Javelin [272-5]
2023
Curtis Thompson [Florence], 1st, Javelin [265-5]
Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 1st, 100-Meter Hurdles [12.37]
2021
Curtis Thompson [Florence], 1st, Javelin [271-7]
2018
Curtis Thompson [Florence], 1st, Javelin [249-3]
2016
English Gardner [Eastern], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.74]
2013
English Gardner [Eastern], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.85]
1999
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [9.97w]
1996
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [9.92]
1994
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.13]
1993
Jack Pierce [Woodbury], 1st, 110-Meter Hurdles [13.19]
1992
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.09]
1991
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-4]
1990
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.05]
Mike Labosky [Holy Cross], 1st, Javelin [261-3]
1989
Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1st, 5,000-Meter Run [16:12.36]
1988
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [9.78w]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-9]
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 3rd, Long Jump [22-7]
1987
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [20.12]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-4 ½]
1986
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [9.91w]
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-5 ¼]
1985
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [22-8 ½w]
1984
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.08tmr]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 200-Meter Dash [19.86]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-6 ¾]
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [22-7 ¼]
1983
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.27]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 200-Meter Dash [19.75]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-10]
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [22-8]
1982
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.11]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [27-9 ¾]
Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [22-4]
1981
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, 100-Meter Dash [10.13]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1st, Long Jump [28-3 ¼]
1959
Don Bragg [Penns Grove], 1st, Pole Vault [15-3]
1957
Charles Pratt [Palmyra], 3rd, 120-Yard Hurdles [14.3]
Charles Pratt [Palmyra], 1st, Decathlon [7,164]
1924
Frances Ruppert [Palmyra], 1st, 100-Yard Dash [12.0]
1923
Frances Ruppert [Palmyra], 1st, 100-Yard Dash [12.0]
1912
Mel Sherppard [Almonesson], 1st, 880-Yard Run [1:57.4]
1911
Men
Mel Sherppard [Almonesson], 1st, 880-Yard Run [1:54.2mr]
1908
Mel Sherppard [Almonesson], 1st, 880-Yard Run [1:55.6]
1907
Mel Sherppard [Almonesson], 1st, 880-Yard Run [1:55.2mr]
1906
Mel Sherppard [Almonesson], 1st, 880-Yard Run [1:55.4mr]