Press Release
June 26, 2009
Kraychir Wins National Junior Hammer Title
Eugene, Oregon Twentynine Palms High School junior and VS Athletics Track Club team member Casey Kraychir won her first ever USATF National Junior hammer title today.
In one of the biggest upsets of the track and field season, Kraychir decisively defeated Lauren Chambers (Georgia high school senior), who has the second furthest high school girls hammer throw in American history, 201'6", and she also beat college freshman Victoria Flowers from the University of Connecticut, who had the second furthest throw in the nation, 195'4", going into the national championship hammer competition this year.
Kraychir credits her success today to having a critical battle plan for the event and staying with it throughout the competition. She said, "I needed to make it to the finals before I could fully attack any of my throws. I did OK on my first throw, but I was not sure I made the finals until I threw 172'3" on the third and last throw of the preliminary round, which put me into sixth place."
After the preliminary rounds, Kraychir came alive on her fourth throw, throwing 180'7" to take second place behind Michigan State freshman hammer thrower Elizabeth Rohl, who stood in first place with a throw of 180'10".
On her fifth throw of the competition, Kraychir matched Rohl's effort of 180'10", only to watch as the college freshman responded with another big throw of 183'11" to retake her previous lead.
Going into the final round of the competition, Kraychir, in climactic form, threw an amazing 187'9" to take the lead for the first time during the spectacular competition. However, Rohl had one more throw left, and with several hundred hammer fans watching, she made a fearless, but failed, effort to retake the winning throw from Kraychir, who only moments earlier had shocked the crowd with her winning effort.
And suitably, the crowd stood and clapped appreciatively for the two girls, who fought so well in the final rounds of the foremost hammer competition of the 2009 track and field season.
Here are the top 8 throwers (USATF.com),
Finals
1. Casey Kraychir VS Athletics 187-09
2. Elizabeth Rohl unattached 183-11
3. Lauren Chambers Throw 1 Deep 180-01
4. Victoria Flowers Connecticut 180-01
5. Patrice Gates Throw 1 Deep 179-00
6. J'Quyra Moncur-Blue Throw 1 Deep 170-02
7. Amanda Bingson U N L V 170-00
8. Jacquelyne Leffler Kansas State 167-09
Twentynine Palms High School sophomore Katie Kraychir, Casey's younger sister, also competed in the hammer competition, but did not make the finals; however, her youthful appearance did not go unnoticed, where she was credited for being the youngest competitor in the hammer competition. The USATF Junior National competition allows girls up through the age of 19, with Katie being 16 and Casey being 18 years old.Both Casey and Katie will again be eligible for the competition next year.
With her win, Kraychir made the U.S. Junior Track and Field Team, where she will represent the United States in the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, which will be held at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad on July 31st - August 2nd.
And finally, Casey and Katie Kraychir would like to thank VS Athletics Track Club (Directed by Skip Stolley) and the USATF youth hammer development program (Directed by Hal Connolly) for their generous financial support throughout the year. Because the hammer is not thrown in California high schools, these two organizations have supported both girls development for several years now, thereby proving the event can be done successfully and safely, even at an early age, thereby furthering the cause of youth and women's hammer development in the United States.
http://s1.webstarts.com/KraychirThrows/
Loading...
0:25
USA Nationals 71.15mby whenning21,762 views
Interesting how very wide her starting position is. Reminiscent of the old days.
aeiou99999 4 months ago
Congrats on signing with Azusa Pacific darlin'!! First Class.
mikemather5 1 year ago
ISn't she a girl...?
agentbobbarker 1 year ago
@mikemather5 beanching hammer thrower XD?
H3XZOc 1 year ago
Wow! It seems like only yesterday that Casey and sister Katie were both in Junior High P/E Class. Back then they could only Bench Press 200 lbs. Steady hammer guys, they really are that strong!lol
mikemather5 2 years ago