AN OLYMPIC AND two-time Worlds finalist, Sam Mattis finished 2nd here a year ago. This time he opened with an easy-looking 210-4 (64.09) effort, hoping to build from there. Marcus Gustaveson, 6th in ‘24, took a different approach, pressing hard on the accelerator. “I really wanted to drop a bomb on my first throw,” he admitted later.
The result was a 185-4 (56.50) clunker, which left Gustaveson eating dust from not only Mattis, but also ‘24 U.S. champ Andrew Evans and unofficial left-handed World Record holder Reggie Jagers.
Robbie Otal took over 3rd place with a 205-1 (62.52) throw to open round 2, but Gustaveson responded with 207-0 (63.11) to earn himself a full 6 throws, and Jagers jumped from 7th to 2nd with a toss of 208-9 (63.64). Meanwhile, Mattis, who recently opened a coffee roastery, extended his lead to 212-8 (64.82).
Evans, who makes his living as a brewer of beer, then jumped Jagers by hitting 210-6 (64.16). But Jagers, a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program who has dealt with a bulging disc much of this season, came back huge with a non-Ramona season’s best of 219-4 (66.85) to seize the overall lead.
Two lackluster rounds of throwing ensued, with Mattis — perhaps fortified by a quick cuppa Joe — the only competitor to improve his mark. Entering the final frame it appeared the squad for Tokyo would consist of Jagers, Mattis, and Evans. Then Gustaveson, a football player and glide shot putter in high school who discovered a love for the discus under Coach Lena Baker at Div. II Concordia St. Paul, pushed his final effort out to 211-7 (64.51). That jumped him past Evans and earned his ticket to Tokyo by less than a foot. He celebrated by wrapping his girlfriend, Shelby Frank, in a joyously sweaty hug. Frank, who filled in ably on this day for the heavily pregnant Coach Baker, would be vying for her own spot on the Worlds team when the women’s discus throwers had at it on Sunday.
For Mattis, this will be the sixth World or Olympic appearance in a remarkably consistent career. Jagers, who admitted “tearing up” late in the competition, won the title in 2018 but has not made an international squad since the Tokyo Olympic year. He feels confident now that his back is ship shape. “Everyone else has been going at it all spring and summer,” he told Throws University after the meet. “But for me, I’m just getting going.”
MEN’S DISCUS RESULTS
(August 02)
1. Reggie Jagers (Nike/WCAP) 219-4 (66.85)
(198-11, 208-9, 219-4, 213-9, f, 218-4) (60.62, 63.64, 66.85, 65.17, f, 66.55);
2. Sam Mattis (Nike/NYAC) 215-1 (65.56)
(210-3, 212-8, f, 207-3, 215-1, 210-2) (64.09, 64.82, f, 63.17, 65.56, 64.06);
3. Marcus Gustaveson (Velaasa/TTR) 211-7 (64.51)
(185-4, 207-0, f, 196-9, 201-11, 211-7) (56.50, 63.11, f, 59.97, 61.55, 64.51);
4. Andrew Evans (unat) 210-6 (64.16)
(207-3, 203-7, 210-6, 204-1, 210-0, f) (63.18, 62.06, 64.16, 62.21, 64.02, f);
5. Texas Tanner (AF) 206-5 (62.92)
(204-0, 195-6, 193-0, f, 195-0, 206-5) (62.19, 59.58, 58.83, f, 59.45, 62.92);
6. Robbie Otal (Shore) 205-1 (62.52)
(199-6, 205-1, f, 195-8, 197-7, 193-11) (60.82, 62.52, f, 59.64, 60.22, 59.12);
7. Reno Tuufuli (unat) 204-0 (62.18)
(174-5, 199-9, 204-0, f, 193-11, 201-8) (53.16, 60.88, 62.18, f, 59.10, 61.46);
8. Joseph White (unat) 203-11 (62.15)
(198-4, 197-11, 200-3, f, f, 203-11) (60.46, 60.32, 61.05, f, f, 62.15);
9. Michael Pinckney (UCLA) 197-0 (60.06); 10. Jordan Roach (unat) 194-8 (59.35); 11. Joseph Brown (unat) 193-11 (59.10); 12. Dallin Shurts (VSA) 193-8 (59.04); 13. Legend Hayes (GarS) 191-0 (58.22); 14. Mitchell Weber (unat) 190-6 (58.06); 15. Casey Helm (Prin) 190-2 (57.97); 16. Yakob Ekoue (unat) 173-5 (52.86).
