Blog - Track and Field Hunter

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 04 August 2017

Farah_MoFH1-London17.jpGMo Farah wins his final 10,000m champs ! photo by PhotoRun.net

Brit Legend has Winning Response to African Race Strategy

August 4th, 2017

London, England

On opening night of the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships, the rabid British track & field fans - and indeed most of the capacity crowd that packed London's Olympic Stadium - got their wish as the incomparable Mo Farah fended off a multi-national assault by a squad of African athletes and utilized a blistering finish to win his 3rd straight world championship 10,000 meter crown.

After a tantalizing undercard which included the Bolt-featured opening rounds of the men's 100 meters, the restless audience was sufficiently amped for the only final of Day One, the night's closer: the men's 10,000 meter final. As the 24 distance warriors were led out onto the track behind juvenile standard bearers, the athletes walked with determination up the homestretch. All except one. Farah - who has never lost in this stadium - joyfully skipped into lane three. Almost giddy, the two-time defending champion waved his arms to exhort on his legion of adoring followers as he danced to the starting line. One thing was clear: he was ready to roll.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Field; Published: 01 August 2017

Matt Ludwig 1.jpgMatt Ludwig, photo courtesy of News-Herald.com

Zip Sophomore's NCAA Win Burnishes Akron's Vault Heritage

July 30, 2017

In the wide-sweeping mosaic of collegiate track & field, there definitely are recognized pockets of event excellence. When you think about high jump proficiency, you think of Cliff Rovelto's program at Kansas State. The 400 meters? Well, Baylor's Clyde Hart and his one-lap thoroughbreds led by Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner certainly come to mind. Top flight hurdling encourages many to reflect upon South Carolina's Curtis Frye and his prodigies Lashinda Demus and Terrence Trammell. And terrific sprinting and horizontal jumping immediately prompt thoughts of Florida's Mike "Mouse" Holloway and his legion of dash men and sky pilots at the University of Flight.

Well there may be a new university poised to join this fraternity of event excellence. The University of Akron - with 5 NCAA pole vault championships since 2014 - is making quite a name for itself in this vertical jump and is increasingly being recognized as an incubator of collegiate pole vault superiority. Canadian Olympian Shawn Barber kicked off the current streak when he captured the 2014 NCAA indoor vault crown. German athlete Annika Roloff followed suit for the Zips when she was victorious in the 2014 NCAA outdoor championship vault. Barber kept it rolling in 2015 - his storybook year - when he successfully defended his NCAA indoor title, captured its outdoor vault crown, and later won the world championship pole vault gold medal in Beijing.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 27 July 2017

Drew Windle winning 800m at Portland Tracktown Summer Series,

photo by PhotoRun.net

Donovan Brazier wins, Isaiah Harris second and Drew Windle has third!

photo by Brian Eder/RunBlogRun

Young Symmonds Disciple Makes World Team!

Last month in Sacramento, the sunbaked fans in Hornet Stadium raised eyebrows as they witnessed a relative unknown - a former Div. II champion in a florescent yellow singlet - uncork 3 consecutive furious finishes in the 3-race 800 meter war of attrition to gain a spot on the U.S. world championship team. For Drew Windle it was the fulfillment of a dream concocted nearly a decade ago. "My senior year in high school I set a goal that you set even though it is super far-fetched at the time," notes the Brooks athlete as he reflects on that promise he made to himself to make a national team. "We kept working at it. I went to a Division II school [Ohio's Ashland University] and did really well there - enough to get me a contract with Brooks in Seattle, Washington. The stars kind of aligned on the right day. And it happened. It was kind of a dream come true."

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 25 June 2017

Jager_EvanH-USOut17.jpGEvan Jager on task, photo by PhotoRun.net

Olympic Silver Medalist Captures 5th National Title

June 25th, 2017

Sacramento, California

It is difficult enough for track & field athletes to religiously hone their craft in the never-ending drive to be among their country's best. But it is only in very rare circumstances when an even more remarkable performer can rise not simply to be among the country's best, but to be the country's dominating performer in that event. Today, steeplechase specialist Evan Jager showed once again that he is such an athlete.

Read more: Evan Jäger Dominates Steeple

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 24 June 2017

Heat, Injuries, And Other Competitors Spoil Centrowitz vs. Murphy Showdown

June 24th, 2017

Sacramento, California

Great and enduring rivalries are the spice of all sports: Borg vs. McEnroe; Nicklaus vs. Palmer; Bird vs. Magic, to name a few. In that same vein, track & field has its own splendid heritage of rivalries: Yang vs. Johnson; Boston vs. Ter-Ovanesyan; Thomas vs. Brumel; Liquori vs. Ryun; Coe vs. Ovett, Simpson vs. Rowbury, and on and on. We all thought today we would witness what could be yet another emerging rivalry: the clash between middle distance stars Matthew Centrowitz and Clayton Murphy.

Ageless Gatlin Fends Off Coleman And Father Time For Century Title

June 22nd, 2017

Sacramento, California

With all due respect to every other event on the track and in the field, isn't there just something special - almost magical - about the 100 meters?

The heritage of the 100 meters - the "Century" as it is often referred to by the old-schoolers - is deeply rooted. Our fascination with speed, running speed, goes way back. It is engrained in our culture. From schoolyard squabbles to see who can run the fastest to the quadrennial Olympic finals in the dash, the 100 meters is the battlefield where the argument is finally settled: Who really is the fastest?

There is a certain notoriety that accompanies the "Fastest" title. With apologies to the mile, the 100 meters is probably the best known and most embraced track & field event for the expanded population that extends beyond track & field's hardcore fan base. Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Usain Bolt - all household names borne from, among other things, 100 meter success.

Brutal Weather Punishes All Athletes

June 22nd, 2017

Sacramento, California

In building a carefully-assembled, detail-oriented plan that would see Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy compete in both the 800m and 1500m in the USATF outdoor championships, both Murphy and his coach Lee Labadie knew that the reigning Olympic 800m bronze medalist - hoping to battle competitors in 5 races over 4 days - would be facing many worthy opponents. But prior to this week, they did not know that perhaps Murphy's most formidable opponent may well be the Weather Gods who have transformed Sacramento into a broiling hell hole fit for neither man nor beast.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 21 June 2017

Presser Photo.jpg

IMG_0881.JPGL to R: Tianna Bartoletta, Clayton Murphy, Emma Coburn, and Ronnie Baker, photo by David Hunter

Triple Digit Temperatures To Add New Challenge

June 21st, 2017

Sacramento, California

On the eve of the 2017 USATF outdoor championships, a pre-meet press conference was held at the Sacramento Grand Hotel. It was an opportunity for 4 of the nation's most accomplished track & field athletes to offer insights on their upcoming competitions and to field questions from a packed conference room of journalists. Here is what each had to say:

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Field; Published: 15 June 2017

Morris_Sandi-Doha16.jpgSandi Morris, photo by PhotoRun.net

When Sandi Morris sailed over 5.00 meters / 16'5" in last year's Diamond League pole vault final in Brussels, she became only the third woman in history to conquer that mythical height. It was a clearance that clinched for Morris Track & Field News' #1 world pole vault ranking and was the perfect capper for Morris' 2016 breakout year. It was quite a year indeed for the young South Carolina native who just 4 years earlier was a bundle of unharnessed potential utilizing unrefined technique to clear 4.15 meters / 13'7¼".

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 12 June 2017

Murphy_ClaytonFH1b-USOlyTr16.jpgClayton Murphy, 2016 US Olympic Trials 800 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net

Murphy To Race 800m/1500m Double At USATF Championships

June 11th, 2017

Portland, Oregon

Clayton Murphy's proven middle distance range combined with his unparalleled progression over the past 4 years has sparked much speculation over which event he would elect to race in this month's upcoming USATF outdoor track and field championships. Would he run the 800 meters where his 1:43.60 clocking earlier this April is the #1 world-ranked performance this year? Or might he step up to the 1500 meters where he has demonstrated great potential and his 3:51.99 in the Bowerman mile two weeks ago is the American leader and is tied for #5 on the world leader board? Murphy - never one to back away from a challenge - found a way to sidestep that tough decision: He's planning to compete in both events. "Coach [Lee] Labadie and I kind of made the decision about the possibility to double toward the end of the indoor season," stated the Nike athlete in an exclusive interview. "We looked at the schedule for both and reviewed them. And we thought there was a possibility based on the schedule. So it was just going depend on training and how I felt leading up to it. Everything we've done and every decision we've made has been based around the double. All the races we've selected, the patterns of workouts, the patterns of races we did select, when they were, what they were have all been based around doubling."

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TAFWA Award

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2020 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships

Dave Hunter On February 28-29, Dave served as the Color Analyst on the live ESPN3 broadcast of this championship gathering. Coverage of this 2-day conference championship can be viewed on the ESPN app.

Dave Hunter

Dave Hunter is a track & field journalist, announcer, and broadcaster. Dave reports on the premier track & field gatherings around the globe, frequently serves as an arena or stadium announcer for championship events, and has undertaken foreign and domestic broadcast assignments in the sport.