May 21, 2011
Saturday's Results 
TUCSON – The University of Arizona welcomed some of the elite throwers in the world to Tucson on Saturday for the Tucson Elite Throwers Classic held at Roy P. Drachman Stadium.
The annual competition brings in some of the top talents in the throwing events from now and the past for one full-scale throwers-only meet. This year's meet featured several Olympians – including a couple gold medalists - and national team members from across the world. The two-day event has seen the fall of many stadium records over the years and Saturday's competition was no exception.
Nike's Jill Camarena-Williams took down the 18-year-old stadium record in the shot put held by the UA's own Meg Ritchie with a new outdoor best throw of 19.37m (63-6 ¾). Ritchie's mark of 18.99m (62-2) still remains the collegiate record in the event, however.
Camarena-Williams, the American indoor record holder in the event and coached by UA throws coach Craig Carter, had two throws over 19 meters in the competition and improved upon her third-place ranking in the world for the 2011 outdoor campaign.
The men's shot put saw a tight competition with the top-three athletes all going over 20 meters and finishing within 22 centimeters of each other. Russ Winger overtook former NCAA champion Noah Bryant on his final attempt of the day with a throw of 20.28m (66-6 ½) with Bryant taking the runner-up finish with a throw of 20.22m (66-4 ¼). Justin Rodhe was third with a throw of 20.06m (65-9 ¾).
Also in the field was 2000 Olympic gold medalist Arsi Harju who finished with the same mark as Arizona's Robert Gire at 18.48m (60-7 ¾). Gire finished eighth overall ahead of Harju courtesy of having the the second best throw of the competition between the two. All of Gire fair throws were over 18 meters in one of his most consistent performances in his already impressive season.
In the women's discus, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton edged American record holder Suzy Powell with a winning throw of 60.79m (199-5) to Powell's second-place mark of 58.70m (192-7).
Arizona's Baillie Gibson took fifth in the event, coming just shy of her personal record with a best throw of 55.61m (182-5).
Olympian Vikas Gowda won the men's discus event with a best mark on the day of 61.65m (202-3), beating Winger by about four feet. UA alumnus Adam Kuehl, who now competes for Nike, was third with a best of 58.14m (190-9).
In the hammer throws, 2012 Olympic hopeful Britney Henry of Adidas won the women's competition with a throw of 68.37m (224-4) while Olympian A.G. Kruger handled the competition of the men's side with a winning throw of 76.34m (250-5).
The men's javelin saw a couple athletes come up just shy of the Olympic 'A' standard. Corey White, a multiple-time All-American at USC, won the competition with a throw of 81.70m (268-0), just 30 centimeters shy of the 'A' standard. Olympian Mike Hazle was second with a throw of 81.09m (266-0).
Former Oregon standout Rachel Yurkovich won the women's javelin event with a best throw of 56.67m (185-11). The UA's Asia Easley nearly set a new personal record with her season's best throw of 46.76m (153-5) to finish 10th.
The Wildcats now set their sights forward to earning a shot at the NCAA Championships as they take part in the NCAA West Preliminaries next weekend in Eugene, Ore., taking place May 26-28.
