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Carter and Kovacs Claim Shot Put Titles

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U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field   Jun 26th 2014, 2:38pm
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Michelle Carter (Ovilla, Texas) and Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) kicked off the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships in style Wednesday, capturing the women’s and men’s shot put titles in front of 5,500 fans at the California State Capitol in downtown Sacramento.

Carter started the day with a one-and-done, hitting the auto-qualifying mark on her first attempt of the morning (18.53m/60-9.50) to advance to Wednesday’s finals. Carter, the American record holder in the event, continued her dominance in the evening session, leading from start to finish. Carter captured her fifth national crown outdoors and third in the last four years, finishing up with a toss of 19.45m/63-9.75 to take the title.

Felisha Johnson (Indianapolis, Indiana) surpassed 2012 Olympian Tia Brooks (Grand Rapids, Michigan) on her final throw of the evening, throwing a new personal best of 19.18m/62-11.25 to claim the silver medal. Brooks was third with her mark of 18.83m/61-9.50, a 2014 best.

In the men’s competition, it was a battle between Kovacs, Kurt Roberts (Ashland, Ohio) and Reese Hoffa (Athens, Georgia) for the top spot. For much of the competition, it was Roberts out in front. A new outdoor personal best of 21.47m/70-5.25 on his third throw of the night got the crowd on their feet and a celebratory Roberts screamed in the ring.

It looked as though Roberts would hold the advantage until Kovacs’ fifth throw of the evening, a rocket toss of 22.03m/72-3.50 for a new personal best and the edge in the competition with one throw remaining. Roberts put forth his second 70-footer of the night but it wasn’t enough, as Kovacs claimed his first outdoor national title. Hoffa utilized his fourth throw to claim the bronze medal in Sacramento, tossing a mark of 20.78m/68-2.25.



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