FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

STEPHANIE BROWN-TRAFTON, MALONE, SUZY POWELL-ROOS, ROME, WALTZ, AND OTHERS TO COMPETE AT INAUGURAL MAUI “BIG-WIND” DISCUS CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY IRON WOOD THROWERS 

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho, April 2, 2007 – 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, today announced the anticipated field of competitors for the inaugural Maui “Big Wind” Discus Challenge. Former US Olympians Stephanie Brown-Trafton, Casey Malone, Suzy Powell-Roos, Jarred Rome, and Ian Waltz will join fellow elite American post-collegiate discus throwers Cecilia Barnes, Becky Breisch, Karl Erickson, Beth Mallory-Lesch, and Nick Petrucci for the meet series to be staged on Saturday, April 14th and Monday, April 16th at the historic War Memorial Stadium Complex in Wailuku, Hawaii.

“We look forward to providing a one-of-a-kind competitive experience for these great athletes,” said Templeman. “With its ideal climate and strong prevailing winds, 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.”

For a majority of these athletes the competition series will serve as the starting point to their 2007 season. Undoubtedly all will be seeking to harness the power of the legendary Hawaiian trade winds to surpass the current IAAF “A” standard (64.50m/211-7 for men, 61.00m/200-1 for women), an essential step required to become eligible for obtaining a coveted spot on the US National team for the 11th annual IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in Osaka, Japan. Also at stake are the long-standing American and World Records:

 

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: Carol Cady, Stanford TC, 66.10m/216-10 (1986)

World Record: Gabriele Reinsch, German Democratic Republic, 76.80m/251-11 (1988)

“We’re excited to participate in such a great event and hope to utilize it as a springboard for a very successful 2007 season, which is by far the most critical year prior to the Olympics,” remarked Bud Rasmussen, discus chairman for the USA Track & Field Men’s Development Committee and personal coach to Breisch, Erickson, Rome, and Waltz.

Biographical information for 2007 Invitees:

(sources: www.iaaf.org – 2006 world rankings, www.trackandfieldnews.com – 2006 US rankings)

Cecilia Barnes (Unattached): Personal Best: 58.41m/191-10 (2005). #45 World Ranked and #6 US Ranked in 2006. 8x NCAA All-American and 5x National Champion at Cal-State Bakersfield (Division II). 1x NCAA All-American at Washington.

Becky Breisch (USA Track & Field High Performance): Personal Best: 63.53m/208-5 (2005). #16 World Ranked and #3 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 2. 2005 US Champion. 8x NCAA All-American at Nebraska.

Stephanie Brown-Trafton (Unattached): Personal Best: 61.90m/203-1 (2004). #39 World Ranked and #4 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 1. 2004 Olympian. 6x NCAA All-American at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo.

Karl Erickson (USA Track & Field High Performance): Personal Best: 61.12m/200-6 (2006). #9 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 1. 7x NCAA All-American at Minnesota.

Beth Mallory-Lesch (Unattached): Personal Best: 59.35m/194-9 (2005). #44 World Ranked and #5 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 1. 6x NCAA All-American and 2005 NCAA Champion at Alabama.

Casey Malone (Nike): Personal Best: 66.58m/218-5 (2002). #19 World Ranked #3 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 3. 2004 Olympian. 1996 World Jr. Champion. 4x NCAA All-American and 1998 NCAA Champion at Colorado State.

Nick Petrucci (Unattached): Personal Best: 66.35m/217-8 (2003). #22 World Ranked and #5 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 2. 2x NCAA All-American at Northern Arizona.

Suzy Powell-Roos (Asics): Personal Best: 65.14m/214-10 (2002). #13 World Ranked and #2 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 10. 1996 and 2000 Olympian. 1996 US Champion. 1995 Pan Am Jr. Champion. 6x NCAA All-American at UCLA.

 

Jarred Rome (Nike): Personal Best: 67.51m/221-6 (2004). #7 World Ranked and #2 US Ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 3. 2004 Olympian. 2004 US Champion. 6x NCAA All-American at Boise State.

 

Ian Waltz (Nike): Personal Best: 68.91m/226-1 (2006). #4 World Ranked and #1 US ranked in 2006. US National Teams: 3. 2004 Olympian. 2005 and 2006 US Champion.

8x NCAA All-American at Washington State.

 

 

Traditional weather patterns for Wailuku, HI on specific meet series dates:

(source: www.wunderground.com)

Saturday, April 14th (Max. temp., Ave. wind speed, Max. wind speed, Max. gust speed)

4/15/06: 80f, 17mph, 31mph, 37mph

4/16/05: 83f, 15mph, 31mph, 40mph

4/17/04: 80f, 16mph, 24mph, 31mph

4/19/03: 82f, 16mph, 30mph, 39mph

Monday, April 16th (Max temp., Ave. wind speed, Max. wind speed, Max. gust speed)

4/17/06: 81f, 16mph, 26mph, 33mph

4/18/05: 83f, 10mph, 25mph, 33mph

4/19/04: 78f, 10mph, 22mph, 29mph

4/21/03: 80f, 18mph, 26mph, 36mph

 

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 19th year of existence and commonly believed to be the largest specialty track and field camp in the United States. Its newest enterprise, the Iron Wood Throwers Club, currently in its 4th year of existence, counts reigning US national women’s shot put champion Jillian Camarena as well as several youth, emerging elite, and masters athletes among its ranks.

 

CONTACT:

Bart Templeman; Iron Wood Throwers

208-667-5381 (phone)

[email protected] www.ironwoodcamp.com

 

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