Conor McCullough (Chaminade, West Hills, CA) threw a new meet record to win his first USATF Junior National Championship over the weekend in Eugene, Oregon. McCullough led from start to finish and topped the meet record in the third round with his winning toss of 75.30m (247-00) with the international 6-kilogram hammer. That throw is just feet off of his personal best of 75.88m, which he threw to win the silver medal at last year's World Junior Championships. Justin Welch (Eastwood, Pemberville, OH) threw a personal best of 66.04m (216-08) to take second place.
Casey Kraychir (Twentynine Palms, CA) threw just under her personal best to win the women's junior national title. Kraychir sat in second place entering the final round behind Elizabeth Rohl (Michigan State University). However, she launched a better throw to move into the lead and Rohl was unable to respond. Lauren Chambers (Kell, Marietta, GA) placed third with a throw of 54.89m (180-01) and last year's national leader Victoria Flowers (now at the University of Connecticut) took fourth, less than an inch behind Chambers.
The USATF Junior National Championships is a competition open to all American throwers that are under twenty throughout the entire calendar year. The men throw an international 6-kilogram (13.2-pound) hammer and the women throw the normal 4-kilogram hammer.
