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Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 18 February 2018

Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 18th, 2018

With no Olympic Games or outdoor world championships on the 2018 calendar, the annual USATF indoor showdown took on added meaning as the sole American pathway to the only global championship of the year: Birmingham’s World Championship gathering just two weeks hence. As a result, a somewhat curious and varied assemblage of talented American women – established veterans and rising stars – met in the Land of Enchantment to battle for the coveted spots on the U.S. world indoor team.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Event Coverage; Published: 08 January 2018

EP-170209345.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667.jpgMatt Ludwig, photo courtesy of New Herald

January 6th, 2018

Katie Nageotte's Winning AL Clearance #2 on 2018 World List

While Saturday evening's artic winds were driving wind chill temperatures beyond 20 degrees below zero in Akron, Ohio, inside the Stile Athletics Field House on the University of Akron campus, a few world-class pole vaulters were heating things up with some of the best clearances of this early 2018 indoor season.

Why in the world would some of the best vaulters in the world make a wintertime trek to Akron, Ohio? First of all, the University of Akron's indoor facility houses one of the best indoor track & field venues in the nation, especially for the pole vault where 5 different vault pits can be utilized simultaneously. In addition, Zip head coach Dennis Mitchell - Akron's vault maestro and a national class pole vaulter in his own right back the mid-80's - has built a terrific track & field culture, not just for his highly-successful teams, but also in particular for his pole vaulters who have garnered 5 NCAA pole vault titles in the past 4 years. Further, the Saturday night pole vault competition for elite men and women represented the pinnacle of the 6th annual U of A Pole Vault Convention - a multi-day on-campus instructional pole vault seminar that attracted well over 100 aspiring vaulters of all types: boys, girls, men, women, grade school, high school, collegiate, professional; and post professional.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Field; Published: 01 January 2018

Hill_DarrellH-Brussels17.jpgDarrell Hill, photo by PhotoRun.net

Young Pro Reflects on Emerging Career, DL Shot Crown

January 1, 2018

Athletes, like others, are not born with confidence. Some may think they are, but they are mistaken. That's faux confidence. One needs to earn self-assuredness- either nurtured by others, or cultivated by one's own experiences, or both. Some find a way to build it through a pretense of confidence, a self-acknowledged charade that they are confident, hoping ultimately to build a reality out of what they know to be an attitudinal placeholder until it can be supplanted by the real thing. Darrell Hill - the reigning Diamond League shot put champion - has travelled his own pathway, from happy-go-lucky, stand-in 35 foot shot putter who is in it for the fun to one of the most proficient putters of all time at age 24. And through it all, he has gained genuine confidence.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 24 December 2017

Kendricks-Duplantis-LaVillenie-Lausanne17.jpgSam Skinner, Mondo Duplantis, Renaud Lavillenie, photo by PhotoRun.net

December 24, 2017

Earlier this month, the focus was on the women and the selection of the premier female track & field athlete of 2017. Now it is time to turn attention to the men and - employing the same measurement metrics of progression of marks, head-to-head competition, and honors won - determine the male track & field athlete of the year. With many athletes registering outstanding, if not career, years, the undertaking is an understandably difficult one The undoubtedly subjective evaluation process renders the ultimate determination often unsatisfying as reasonable minds can easily - an quite often do - come to differing conclusion. But proceed we must!

To become a top 5 finalist an athlete's annual record must sparkle. A finalist must have authored a season that offers an overall luster devoid of tarnish - or at least no smudge of any material nature. Every year there are several skilled and achieving athletes who just miss achieving finalist status, yet are worthy of honorable mention. This year, those honorees, listed in alphabetical order, are:

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 19 December 2017

Wlodarczyk_AnitaW1b-WC17.jpgAnita Wlodarzyck, photo by PhotoRun.net

December 19th, 2017

Selecting a single track & field performer as the Female Athlete of the Year is a difficult task every year. And this go-around is no different. Four of my top "finalists" - all with gaudy, yet nearly evenly-matched, credentials accumulated during this championship year - would be worthy to wear the AOY crown in almost any other year. But in my view, the one other finalist is head and shoulders above the others. Before unveiling my rankings in this clearly-subjective undertaking, a quick review of the measurement metrics is in order. Long ago, Track & Field News identified three progressively-weighted criteria for the annual evaluation of the leading performers. They are

•Progression Of Marks. Some weight is given to the clockings, the height, or the distance achieved by the athlete during the year. Progressive improvements throughout the year warrant special merit.
•Head-To-Head Competition. Track & field is more than simply posting outstanding marks. It's about winning. As such, more weight is accorded to the athlete's record in competing against his or her world-class competitors. When faced with the best in your event, did you prevail?
•Honors Won. Ah, but our sport is more thansimply posting some wins. At its zenith, track & field is about its best athletes rising up at that most important moment, vanquishing the field, and winning when it counts the most - in championship competition, particularly global gatherings. That's why the most weight is given to the significant honors the athlete garners at the most important competitions at season's end.

There are a number of women who authored impressive years spiced with sparkling marks, important victories, and coveted global titles. But each had a slight chink in her armor that kept them from ascending to the top 5. Nonetheless, all are most worthy of honorable mention. In alphabetical order, they are:

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 11 December 2017

Murphy_ClaytonQ-USAout17.jpgClayton Murphy, photo by PhotoRun.net

This is the second part of a two-part series on the topsy-turvy 2017

of America's Olympic 800 meter bronze medalist.

Calamity, Then Restoration

"Life is what happens to you while you're planning on doing something else." - John Lennon

As if Clayton Murphy's self-imposed goal of earning a spot on Team USA's World Championship team in both the 800 meters and the 1500 meters was not challenge enough, in the days leading up to the USATF outdoor track & field championships, Mother Nature intervened to deliver scorching temperatures, making Murphy's Sacramento quest more daunting still. Even with an 11th hour scheduling change to evade the day's heat peak, the mercury still registered 113 degrees as the first round of the 800 meters was announced. Normally perky middle distance racers were grim faced walking onto the track as if they were being led to the gallows. Peeling off his ice vest, Murphy was all business. Running a measured race requiring only a modest, yet decisive move over the final 150 meters, Murphy captured an automatic qualifier. Scurrying through the mixed zone, Murphy headed back to the hotel to rest, eat, and prepare for the first round of the 1500 some 4 hours hence. While the 1500 first round race was more strenuous than Murphy's earlier 800 meters, he was up to the challenge and advanced by posting the fastest time qualifier of the day. Day One's mission was accomplished. In the Day Two 800m semi with blistering temperatures still well above 100, Clayton once again looked sharp, snaring yet another auto qualifier for the closing day's 800 meter final.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 09 December 2017

Murphy_ClaytonQ-Rio16.jpgClayton Murphy, photo by PhotoRun.net

"You'll never achieve what you never planned for." - Collins Hasty

As the current year began and after 3 consecutive years of eye-popping middle distance progression, Olympic 800 meter bronze medalist Clayton Murphy looked forward to 2017 with optimism and ambition. "It was exciting to have a year like 2016 and view all the opportunities I had in front of me as well as the challenges we knew would be ahead," states Murphy as he reflects on the beginning of this world championship year. "There was no 'let's see if we can mimic what we did the year before.' It was, 'let's see if we can do better than we did the year before.' That was exciting to me to have that challenge, to try to get better every year."

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Cross Country; Published: 20 November 2017

Gabi Forrest ’19, pictured during her win at the Ivy Heptagonal Championships, placed 37th at the NCAA meet Nov. 18.

Forrest Earns All-America Honors; Princeton Men Place 28th

.After tight-pack racing propelled the Princeton men’s cross country team to a decisive upset victory in the Mid-Atlantic Regional, expectations for the squad rose as its athletes prepared for the following week’s NCAA Championships.

Tagged as the lowest-ranked of the nine regional champions in the pre-race coaches’ poll of the 30-team championship field, the lightly-touted Tigers ignored the early-week snub. Sometimes a team can benefit from being discounted, permitting it to fly under the radar. But you have to perform on race day. And in Louisville, the Tigers were unable to replicate their magical regional performance. The Tigers’ five scorers — separated only by 33 seconds in the regional — ballooned to a 66 second finish-time spread in the championship final. The result: 620 points and a disappointing 28th place finish.

“I think we had a difficult time getting into the position where we wanted to be,” explained head coach Jason Vigilante afterwards. “Twenty-eighth place is disappointing [after coming in as] regional champions. We were really hoping for a higher finish. But sometimes it doesn’t shake out the way you want it.”

Vigilante hopes his athletes can come to view the championship race disappointment in conjunction not only with their impressive regional victory, but also with yet another Heps team title earned. “It was a wonderful season and I hope the guys can celebrate this and appreciate it for what it is, recognize the hard work and the comradery they put into it, and be able to take away a sense of pride.” With the sophomore trio of Conor Lundy, Gannon Willcutts, and Viraj Deokar returning next fall to provide an experienced and powerful core, there is reason for optimism.

The Princeton men weren’t the only Tigers to race at Louisville’s Sawyer Park. Competing as an individual qualifier in the women’s national championship event, Princeton junior Gabrielle Forrest — who last month captured the Heps individual crown and later finished an impressive third in her regional qualifier — ran a competitive race, clocking 20:09 on the rolling 6-kilometer course. Breathless in the mixed zone, the exuberant Brisbane, Australia native recounted her race. “The wind was pretty bad,” she said. “I tried to tuck in where I could behind people. It was such a great experience. I think I was on the cusp of top 40, but we’ll see when the results come in.” She finished 37th in a field of 255 to earn All-American recognition.

An animated Forrest beamed as she recalled the frenzied excitement of her first national championship competition: “A lot of people were shouting out at me. I had no idea. People just were yelling the whole way which is amazing because we don’t get that much [spectator involvement] in our sport.”

Plagued by nagging injuries during her first two years at Princeton, the Aussie economics major has been aided this fall by a carefully-scripted training regimen. Cautious preparation has kept her healthy and allowed her to uncork a racing ferocity when it counted most. “Our nickname for Gabi,” offered women’s coach Brad Hunt, “is ‘The Thunder from Down Under.’” The newly-minted All-American is already looking forward to competing as a senior in next year’s championship race. Said Forrest, “Yeah, I’ll give it another go!”

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Cross Country; Published: 18 November 2017

Kurgat’s Win Helps New Mexico Grab 2nd NCAA XC Crown In 3 Years

November 18th, 2017
Louisville, Kentucky

At the pre-race press conference, New Mexico head coach Joe Franklin stressed happiness, relaxation, and fun as essential ingredients for his team’s success. The following day his happy, relaxed women’s squad had fun as the Lady Lobos captured their 2nd NCAA cross country title in the last 3 years, posting 90 points to better hard-charging runner-up University of San Francisco by 15 points.

Shortly after the Churchill Downs bugler – in full equestrian regalia – trumpeted the national anthem and the call to the post, 255 of the nation’s top collegiate women runners bolted from the starting gate to attack the rolling 6K loop course in Louisville’s E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park. Under chilly, dry, and blustery conditions, the competitors scrambled for early position with the leaders hitting 1 kilometer in 3:04 on the way to a 5:02 opening mile. At the 2K mark [6:20] the Missouri’s ’16 champion Karissa Schweizer and New Mexico’s Ednah Kurgat led a bunched pack. Flying by 2 miles in 10:12, the co-leaders were quickly joined by Boise State sophomore and West Regional runner-up Allie Ostrander.

After the 3K mark [9:41], Kurgat went to whip early, unleashing an uphill surge that that neither Schweizer nor Ostrander could cover. The acceleration pushed the Mountain Regional champion into the lead as she led the charge through the pine straw and into the forested climb to the course’s zenith. The Lobo leader never let up – steadily expanding her advantage to over 40 meters as she raced by 5K [16:04]. While Kurgat sailed to victory in a course record clocking of 19:19.42, the battle raged on among the top ten athletes. Washington senior Amy-Eloise Neale [19:26] closed the best to grab 2nd followed by San Francisco’s reigning NCAA 10,000 titlist Charlotte Taylor [19:28] and Ostrander [19:31] After surrendering her 2nd place position to Ostrander in the final kilo, the defending champion [19:47] simply unraveled, ceding 9 places over the final downhill rush to the line to ultimately finish 11th.

In a frenzied mixed zone, varied emotions prevailed. “It just wasn’t my day. Everyone has those days,” offered a disconsolate Schweizer, who just couldn’t get comfortable with the spirited early tempo. “I wanted to stop. But I kept pushing through and I’m really proud of myself for making it through.” Ebullient Neale – who mowed down a half dozen opponents over the final 400 meters – savored her unexpected runner-up performance. “After regionals, I definitely knew there was more in there,” said Neale who finished 3rd in the West Regional. “I just tried to catch as many people as I could. I wanted to put myself in a position to be in the top 10 with a mile to go, to have a shot be in the top 5.” And a poised Ednah Kurgat explained her winning race strategy. “I went to the lead in the beginning due to a lot of pressure behind me. But it wasn’t my plan to do that.” The Kenyan sophomore, whose win here capped off her undefeated season, focused on her crucial mid-race breakaway. “Breaking away from the group was so hard. I knew if I went all the way to the end, anything can happen. I don’t take anything for granted.” Only as she neared the line did she know she had the win. “I looked back just before the finish line to see how far they were. I knew the victory was mine.” And her national champion teammates? “They all helped me to run my fastest today.”

Later, Coach Franklin confirmed that the national championship was never specifically identified as a team goal. “We never talked about it as a team,” the Lobos leader explained. “I think they knew. So we didn’t have to tell them.” Before heading off to celebrate with his team, Franklin confided that he knew his athletes were chill and ready to roll when, during the team’s final shake out run on the course, Kurgat evoked teammate laughter as she spontaneously scampered off to chase a gaggle of geese. As it turned out, the next day she would be the one being chased.

Details: Written by Dave Hunter; Category: Track; Published: 17 September 2017

Coburn_EmmaFV1a-WorCH17.jpg

Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs go 1,2, photo by PhotoRun.net

September 10th, 2017

London, England

Although the IAAF World Championships in Athletics concluded almost a month ago, it will always be enjoyable to look back and savor those special moments. While your favorites may well differ, here are my top ten moments - in ascending order, of course!

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Demo Reel Video

Please take a moment to view Dave's 3-minute demo-reel for samples of his announcing and interviewing work.

TAFWA Award

At the 2019 annual meeting of the Track and Field Writers of America, Dave was presented with the James Dunaway Memorial Award “for track & field journalism excellence.”

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.