Delsea’s Josh Awotunde followed his historic shot put win at U.S. Nationals earlier this month with a win at the NACAC Championships Friday in the Bahamas.
Awotunde won the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships with a throw 71-1 ½ at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport. It was his first meet since his lifetime-best 73-8 ¾ – No. 17 in world history – at the U.S. Championships on Aug. 3 in Eugene, Ore.
That’s his all-time 13th-best throw and his fifth throw over 70 feet so far this season. Awotunde will represent the U.S. at the World Championships in Tokyo next month.
Awotunde won by about 2 ½ feet over Olympic finalist and Mexican national record holder Uziel Muñoz, who threw 68-6 ½ on his 3rd attempt.
Awotunde opened with a 67-4 ¾ and a 68-0 ¼ before hitting his 71-1 ½ and then 69-0 ¾, 69-6 and 67-6 ¼ in the finals. He had the three-best throws of the competition.
Also, Gabriel Moronta of Pleasantville, now competing for the Dominican Republic, ran 46.09 in the 400 prelims and missed qualifying for the final by 5-100ths of a second.
Florence’s Curtis Thompson, now a five-time U.S. champion, throws the javelin on Sunday.
Josh Awotunde all-time 70-foot throws
73-8 ¾ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., Aug. 3, 2025 [6th throw] [1st]
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]
71-1 ½ … NACAC, Freeport, Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas, Aug. 15, 2025 [3rd throw] [1st 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 [6th throw] [1st]
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 [3rd throw] [3rd]
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] [—]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 