St. Anthony Trojans Track & Field

 Bart Templeman helps St. Anthony's Joshua Tatofi with the shot put

2008 Maui International

Discus Challenge

By RODNEY S. YAP

WAILUKU – Bart Templeman, founder of Iron Wood Throwers, an Idaho-based non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of American athletes and coaches in the throwing events of track and field, is back on Maui and this time he’s brought a lot more friends.

For 20 years Templeman has been coming to Maui, the last two for business and pleasure.

Introduced as the Maui Big Wind Discus Challenge last year, Templeman and co-sponsor Tru-Lite Electric announce the 2008 Maui International Discus Challenge, featuring more than 30 international athletes representing seven different nations.

Among the featured throwers are reigning IAAF Men’s Discus World Champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia and past IAAF Women’s Discus World Champion Beatrice Faumuina of New Zealand. The pair will join five former United States Olympians and several elite American post-collegiate discus throwers for the highly-anticipated event to be staged from Tuesday, May 13, through Friday, May 16, outside the War Memorial Stadium at the adjacent Pool Field.

Several early season world-leading marks, including Suzy Powell's American Record breaking performance, resulted from the inaugural Maui event in 2007.

“We knew we could break the U.S. Women’s record last year and we did,” said Templeman. “The winds here lifts the lip of the discus and literally whips it, so you can throw it farther.

“We foresee even greater results occurring this year with the addition of these outstanding foreign athletes,” said Templeman.  “However, our main goal for expanding the meet series is to provide our American athletes with highest level of competitive experience possible prior to the U.S. Trials and ultimately the Olympic Games.”

With its ideal climate and strong prevailing winds, many of these athletes view the Maui event as their best opportunity to surpass the current IAAF "A" standard mark (64.50m/211-7 for men, 61.00m/200-1 for women), initially required to become eligible for obtaining a coveted spot on their respective National teams for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad to be held later this summer in Beijing, China. Undoubtedly all athletes will be seeking to harness the power of the legendary Hawaiian trade winds to surpass several long-standing National and World Records.

“There is simply no other place in the world that can rival Maui in its ability to provide such great natural resources for elite discus throwing,” said Templeman. “Obviously we're tremendously excited to have this much talent assembled as some amazing performances are bound to result.”

Men's Discus

American Record: Ben Plucknett, SC Striders, 72.34m/237-4 (1981)

World Record: Jurgen Schult, German Democratic Republic, 74.08m/243-0

(1986)

Women's Discus

American Record: Suzy Powell-Roos, Asics, 67.67m/222-0 (2007)

World Record: Gabriele Reinsch, German Democratic Republic, 76.80m/251-11

(1988)

Note: One such athlete is Estoniaís Gerd Kanter, who has recorded the furthest throw in the world for the past two consecutive years and boasts a personal best mark of 73.38m/240-9 from 2006, which ranks as the third best in history.

Event Schedule

Tuesday, May 13 "B" Section Competition Day #1 @ War Memorial Stadium

12:30 PM Women's Discus "B" section warm-up

 1:00 PM Women's Discus "B" section competition

 2:00 PM* Men's Discus "B" section warm-up

 2:30 PM* Men"s Discus "B" section competition

*Men's warm-up will immediately follow women's competition

Wednesday, May 14 "A" Section Competition Day #1 @ War Memorial Stadium

12:30 PM Women's Discus "A" section warm-up

 1:00 PM Women's Discus 'A' section competition

 2:00 PM* Men's Discus 'A' section warm-up

 2:30 PM* Mens Discus 'A' section competition

*Men's warm-up will immediately follow women's competition

Thursday, May 15 "B" Section Competition Day #2 @ War Memorial Stadium

12:30 PM Women's Discus "B" section warm-up

 1:00 PM Women's Discus "B" section competition

 2:00 PM* Men's Discus "B" section warm-up

 2:30 PM* Men's Discus "B" section competition

*Men's warm-up will immediately follow women's competition

Friday, May 16" A" Section Competition Day #2 @ War Memorial Stadium

12:30 PM Womenís Discus ñ ìAî section warm-up

 1:00 PM Women's Discus "A" section competition

 2:00 PM* Men's Discus "A" section warm-up

 2:30 PM* Men's Discus "A" section competition

*Men's warm-up will immediately follow women's competition

The following are the 2008 competitors:

Women's "B" section

KELECHI ANYANWU (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 57.58m/188-11 (2007).

#55 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 2007 NCAA Champion. 1x NCAA All-American at Cal-Berkeley.

GRETE ETHOLM-SNYDER (Norway/Unattached): Personal Best: 59.48m/195-1 (2003). #98 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 1x NCAA All-American at SMU. 7x Norwegian national champion.

RONDA GULLATE (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 57.43m/188-5 (2005).

OLIVIA KORTE (USA/Armed Services World Class Athlete Program): Personal Best: 54.04m/177-3 (2007).

1x NCAA All-American at Air Force.

MARIE-JOSEE LE JOUR (Canada/St-Laurent Select): Personal Best: 54.34m/178-3 (2007). #128 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

1 x NCAA All-American at Arkansas. 3x Canadian national champion.

RACHEL LONGFORS (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 57.48m/188-7 (2007).

#119 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 6x NCAA All-American at Florida.

LIEJA TUNKS (Canada/Asics): Personal Best: 58.93m/193-4 (2002).

#70 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. Canadian national record holder (shot put).

2007 Canadian champion (shot put and discus).

Represented the Netherlands at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics (shot put).

17x Dutch Shot Put and 4x Dutch Discus national champion.

Men's "B" section

DANIEL AUSTIN (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 63.40m/208-0 (2006).

#84 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

6x NCAA All-American and 2x National Champion at Williams College (Division III).

WILLIAM CONWELL (USA/Club Northwest): Personal Best: 63.61m/208-8 (2007).

#33 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

JAMES DENNIS (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 63.04m/206-10 (2006).

#67 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 2x NCAA All-American at Louisville.

KARL ERICKSON (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 61.12m/200-6 (2006).

#75 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. US National Teams: 1. 7x NCAA All-American at Minnesota.

BENN HARRADINE (Australia/Unattached): Personal Best: 63.65m/208-10 (2005).

#40 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 3x Australian national champion.

AARON NEIGHBOUR (Australia/Unattached): Personal Best: 61.66m/202-3 (2007).

#59 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 1x Australian national champion.

DANIEL SCHAERER (Switzerland/Unattached): Personal Best: 61.45m/201-7 (2007).

#64 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 1x Swiss national champion.

LUKE SULLIVAN (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 61.06m/200-4 (1999).

#81 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. US National Teams: 1. 1995 Pan Am Jr. Champion.

4x NCAA All-American at UCLA.

BRIAN TRAINOR (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 64.08m/210-3 (2004).

2x NCAA All-American at Colorado State.

Women's "A" section

CECILIA BARNES (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 60.17m/197-5 (2007).

#35 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

3. 8x NCAA All-American and 5x National Champion at Cal-State Bakersfield (Division II).

1x NCAA All-American at Washington.

BECKY BREISCH (USA/Nike): Personal Best: 67.37m/221-0 (2007).

#3 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

3. 1x US Champion. 2004 NCAA Champion. 8x NCAA All-American at Nebraska.

STEPHANIE BROWN-TRAFTON (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 61.90m/203-1 (2004).

#28 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

2. 2007 NACAC champion. Represented the United States in the 2004 Olympics.

6x NCAA All-American at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo.

BEATRICE FAUMUINA (New Zealand/Reebok): Personal Best: 68.52m/224-9 (1997).

#23 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 1997 World Champion.

Represented New Zealand in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics.

ARETHA HILL-THURMOND (USA/Nike): Personal Best: 65.86m/216-1 (2004).

US National Teams:

9. Represented the United States in the 1996 and 2004 Olympics. 3x US Champion.

1999 and 2003 Pan Am Games Champion. NCAA record holder. 4x NCAA All-American at Washington.

SUMMER PIERSON (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 59.46m/195-1 (2004).

#61 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

1. 1x NCAA All-American at Stanford.

SUZY POWELL-ROOS (USA/Asics): Personal Best: 67.67m/222-0 (2007).

American record holder. #2 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

12. Represented the United States in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. 2x US Champion.

1995 Pan Am Jr. Champion. 6x NCAA All-American at UCLA.

RACHEL VARNER (USA/Unattached): Personal Best: 57.93m/190-0 (2004).

#67 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 2x NCAA All-American at Arizona.

Men's "A" section

VIKAS GOWDA (India/Unattached): Personal Best: 64.96m/213-1 (2007).

Indian national record holder. #20 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

Represented India in the 2004 Olympics. 2006 NCAA national champion.

3x NCAA All-American at North Carolina.

MART ISRAEL (Estonia/Unattached): Personal Best: 66.56m/218-4 (2007).

#12 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

GERD KANTER (Estonia/Nike): Personal Best: 73.38m/240-9 (2006).

Estonian national record holder. 2007 World Champion.

#1 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

Represented Estonia in the 2004 Olympics. Silver, 2005 World Championships.

ADAM KUEHL (USA/Nike): Personal Best: 64.98m/213-2 (2007).

#19 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

1. 4x NCAA All-American at Arizona.

NICK PETRUCCI (USA/VS Athletics): Personal Best: 66.35m/217-8 (2003).

US National Teams: 2. 2x NCAA All-American at Northern Arizona.

JARRED ROME (USA/Nike): Personal Best: 68.37m/224-3 (2007).

#4 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

3. Represented the United States in the 2004 Olympics.

1x US Champion. 6x NCAA All-American at Boise State.

DARIUS SLOWICK (Canada/Unattached): Personal Best: 64.56m/211-9 (2004).

#36 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list. 1x Canadian national champion.

JASON TUNKS (Canada/Asics): Personal Best: 67.88m/222-8 (1998).

Canadian national record holder. #43 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

Represented Canada in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics.

2003 Pan Am Games Champion. 1997 NCAA Champion.

2x NCAA All-American at SMU. 12x Canadian Discus and 1x Canadian Shot Put national champion.

IAN WALTZ (USA/Nike): Personal Best: 68.91m/226-1 (2006).

#6 ranked throw on 2007 IAAF world list.

US National Teams:

3. Represented the United States in the 2004 Olympics.

2x US Champion. 8x NCAA All-American at Washington State.

About Iron Wood Throwers

Iron Wood Throwers is an Idaho-based non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of American athletes and coaches in the throwing events of track and field. Its signature event, the Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp, is currently in its 20th year of existence and commonly believed to be the largest specialty track and

field camp in the United States. Camp instructional staff members have included several former world record holders and Olympic medalists. Camp alumni have represented the United States at the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, Commonwealth Games, World University Games, Francophone Games, NACAC u-23 Championships,

World Junior Championships, and World Youth Championships.  Its newest enterprise, the Maui International Discus Challenge, currently in its 2nd year of existence, is world renown for providing Olympic calibre athletes with an ideal climate for elite discus throwing.  Several world-leading performances, including Suzy Powell's American

Record breaking performance, resulted from the inaugural competition series in 2007.

NOTE: To send information on our MIL track and field athletes or other related items, email me at mrmaui@mac.com. 

DISCLAIMER: All opinions and comments on this web site are independent and should not reflect on St. Anthony Junior Senior High School.