Hoosiers Win Ten Titles at USATF Youth Championships in Ohio

Results

On Saturday (1-Jul) the 2023 USATF Youth Outdoor & Combined Events Championships concluded in Geneva, OH. The championships were held at the SPIRE Institute.

1112 athletes competed in a total of 2761 events during the six days of competition that began on Monday (26-Jun). USATF Indiana was represented by 32 athletes who competed in 59 individual events. 

The Indiana clubs with athletes competing were: Body In Training (8 athletes), Indiana BLAST Track Club (4 athletes), Speed U TC (1 athlete), and Westfield Track (1 athlete)   

Nine Hoosiers won a total of ten national titles.

ANDERSON CAPTURES TWO TITLES

 
Earning two gold medals was Genesis Anderson (Indiana BLAST TC - pictured above) was the lone double winner as she captured the 100m and Long Jump titles in the 9-10 Girls division.  In the 100m she stopped the clock at 13.78 to win by .35 seconds over Jae'ani Miles of New Jersey. The time was a personal best. Her Indiana Blast TC teammate Mariah Talley finished fourth running 14.69. In the Long Jump she took the lead on the first jump (3.85m / 12-7¾) and never relinquished it as he winning mark of 3.99m (13-1¼) came in round four.  She won by 11 inches over Talley. Anderson also finished second in the 400m running 1:04.64 with Talley finishing sixth running 1:11.48.

THE LONG THROWERS NAIL FOUR TITLES 

In the long throws Indiana athletes won four titles.
 
In the Hammer Throw competition Samuel Didat (unattached - pictured above) and Connor Kalvar (unattached) won the 15-16 boys and 17-18 boys titles, respectively. Didat threw 48.88m/160-4 (#9 Indiana High School all-time) for his win.

IN THEIR WORDS - Samual Didat

It was an amazing experience, I loved competing with the other athletes that are as passionate about the sport as I am, it was an amazing almost overwhelming feeling knowing I had won my first national meet. Along with that overwhelming feeling was a sense of relief, as the month before I was going through a major slump. So finally breaking over 160’ for the first time in a while was a great feeling.

Kalvar (pictured above) winning mark was 59.13m (194-0); just 3"5" short of his personal best set just three days earlier at the SITC Throwers Showcase (197-0; #3 Indiana High School all-time). Kalvar was also seventh in the Discus Throw with a mark of 47.07m (154-5). He recently graduated from Trinity High School (Louisville, KY) and will matriculate to Massachusetts Institute of Technology next month.

IN THEIR WORDS - Connor Kalvar

Reflecting now on my first ever outdoor championship, I am reminded of my long journey here through hard practices and withering weather. It has taken four years of disciplined effort, the support of my fellow throwers, and the unwavering effort of my coach, Damien Kalvar, to reach the level I’m at now.  
 
I’m grateful to be a part of this tight knit community traveling around the country doing what we love. Thank you to the USATF officials and organizers who get us great venues, like the Spire Institute, and provide wonderful opportunities to compete.

Brock Conrad (unattached) finished second to Kalvar with a mark of 49.96m (163-11) and also earned the bronze medal for this third place finish in the Shot Put (16.05m / 52-8). 
In the Javelin competition, Indiana athletes captured the youngest and oldest boys titles.  In the 8U division Isaiah Wilson (Body in Training) won with a throw of 23.52m (77-02) and Andrew McLean (unattached - pictured above) won the 17-18 division with a mark of 52.00m (170-7). McLean's mark was just 15 inches off the Indiana high school state record. Mclean recently graduated from Columbus North High School. Wilson also finished 11th in the Long Jump.

SMITH AND WIDENHOEFER BOUND TO TITLES

Seffrin Smith (Body in Training) won the 15-16 Boys 110m Hurdles in a time of 16.58. He also finished finished seventh in the High Jump (5-3), eighth in the 400m Hurdles (1:08.96) and 11th in the Long Jump (15-6¼).
 
Ethan Widenhoefer (unattached - pictured above), who earlier this year placed seventh at the IHSAA state finals, captured the 17-18 Boys High Jump with a mark of 1.94m (6-4¼). Widenhoefer is entering his senior year at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne.

DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR BENEDICT, JUNDOS, KOLVOORD, KEMPER

Piper Benedict (Body in Training), Joselyn Jundos (Unattached), William Kemper (Unattached), and Parker Kolvoord (Indiana BLAST Track Club) all earned two top-three finishes during the championships.

Benedict won two silver medals in the 8U Girls division. She finished second in the Shot Put (4.23m / 13-10½) and Javelin Throw (13.04m / 42-9). 

Jundos was third in both the 400m (57.97) and 800m (2:19.46) in the 17-18 Girls division.

Kemper finished second in the Discus Throw (42.30m / 159-3) and third in the Shot Put (14.38m / 47-2¼) in the 15-16 Boys division.

Kolvoord finished second in the 1500m (5:48.24) and third in the 800m (2:58.89) in the 8U Boys competition.

COMBINED EVENTS ATHLETES KICKED OFF THE SHOW

The Combined Event competitions were staged during the first two days of championships as Brycen Kelly (Indiana BLAST Track Club - pictured above) and James Hmurovich (Unattached) each won titles. Kelly won the the 13-14 Boys Pentathlon with a new personal best of 2540 points while Hmurovich captured the 15-16 boys Decathlon with a score of 4822 points.

In the 9-10 Boys Triathlon, Grayson Smith (Body in Training) finished second with a score of 207 points.

Earning bronze medals for their third place finishes were Eliza Springer (Body in Training) in the 13-14 Girls Pentathlon and Chris Korthuis (unattached) in the 17-18 Boys Decathlon.

SILVERS FOR SALAZAR AND CLYDE

Arantxa Salazar (Body In Training) and Samantha Clyde (unattached) each earned silver medals for their second place finishes. Salazar won her silver medal in the 11-12 Girls Javelin with a throw of 23.16m (76-0). Clyde's second place finish was in the 13-14 Girls Pole Vault with a mark of 2.95m (9-8).

The complete Indiana Results Scoreboard can be found here.