2009 DRAKE RELAYS RELEASE #23
APRIL 16, 2009DES MOINES, IOWA ? Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson will make his first appearance at the Drake Relays, putting the staple on the greatest men's invitational shot put field ever assembled at America's Athletic Classic.
The event, which will be held at 2:30 pm during the Saturday April 25 session, will feature five of the world's top 10 shot putters from 2008.
Crowd favorite Christian Cantwell, who captured an unprecedented sixth Drake Relays career title last year, was ranked No. 2 in the world in 2008. He will be joined by Reese Hoffa, ranked No. 3 in the world; Nelson, ranked No. 5 in the world; Dorian Scott from Jamaica rated N. 9 in the world; and Dan Taylor who was rated No. 10 in the world.
Cantwell, Hoffa and Nelson all represented the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics, while Scott also competed for Jamaica.
Nelson, who won the silver medal at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, recorded the top shot put throw in the world in 2008 at 73 feet six inches to win the Tyson Invitational.
If that is not enough, the field also includes Cory Martin who won the shot put at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championship along with Russ Winger who was second in the 2008 NCAA indoor meet and third in the NCAA outdoor meet; and Brian Robison, a defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings.
Cantwell and Hoffa, who have combined to win four World Championships, posted the second- and third-best shot put marks in the world in 2008 of 72-9.25 ad 72-6.25, respectively.
Nelson has been one of the most consistent American shot putters of all time. He won the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, silver medals at the 2001, 2002 and 2007 World Outdoor Championships along with a silver medal at the 2001 World Indoor Championship.
He also won the 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006 U.S. Outdoor Championships. He also won a silver at the 2001 World Indoor championship.
Hoffa was ranked No. 1 in the world in 2006 and 2007. He won 15 titles in 2007 while owning the best shot put throw in the world with a personal best throw of 73-7 ? to win the London Grand Prix.
Cantwell was named the 2008 Men's World Indoor Athlete of the Year after winning shot put titles at both the U.S. Indoor Championships and World Indoor Championships.
Hoffa, who competed in the 2004 Olympics, threw past the 70-foot barrier at 10 separate events in 2007. After winning the 2007 U.S. Indoor and Outdoor titles, Hoffa captured the gold medal at the World Outdoor Championships at 72-3.75.
Cantwell won his third career U.S. Indoor title in 2008 at 71-3.5.
He then won the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, with a toss of 71-5.25 on his fifth frame, while Hoffa was second at 69-6.75.
Hoffa enjoyed the finest indoor season of his career in 2006 highlighted by victories at the U.S. Indoor Championships and World Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia. He was a silver medalist at the 2004 World Indoor Championships.
Named the outstanding performer at the 2002 and 2006 Drake Relays, Cantwell will be seeking his seventh Drake Relays career title in the invitational shot put.
Cantwell, who won the 2004 World Indoor Championships, broke one of the oldest Drake Relays records in 2006 with a throw of 72 feet 6.25 inches, bettering the previous mark of 69-6.50 set by Al Feuerbach of the Pacific Coast Track Club in 1972.
Cantwell was ranked No. 3 in the world in 2007 after winning 10 titles including a season best of 72-0.25 at the adidas Classic. He opened the 2007 campaign by winning the Millrose Games in New York, N.Y., with a throw of 71-9 and then won the U.S. Indoor Championships at 71-3.5.
Cantwell posted the top-three outdoor throws in the world and six of the top eight throws globally in 2006, winning titles at Drake; the Kansas Relays; Prefontaine Classic; and Grand Prix meets in Madrid, Spain; Gateshead, England; and New York, N.Y., among others.
Cantwell, who won 11 titles in 2006, threw a 2006 world best 73-8 at Gateshead. He won the 2005 U.S. Outdoor Championships with a mark of 71-0 and was fifth (68-5.75) in the 2005 World Outdoor Championships.
Cantwell, 28, was ranked No. 1 in the world by Track and Field News in 2004 after winning the 2004 World Indoor Championships and then posting the top four throws in the world during the outdoor season, led by a personal best of 73 feet 11.25 inches at the adidas Oregon Track Classic. Cantwell won 13 straight meets in 2004, posting marks of over 70 feet in six meets, including 73-0 in Atlanta, Ga.
Hoffa, who won the Drake Relays title in 2005, has been ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. since 2000 when he was a junior at Georgia.
He captured the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, while winning Grand Prix meets in Doha, New York, and London.
He won the 2006 U.S. Indoor title, and was runner-up in the 2006 U.S Outdoor meet. He won the gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Taylor, who owns a personal best of 70-10 set in 2007, won the recent 2009 U.S. Indoor Championships. He was fourth at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
He joined the world ranks for the first time in 2005 when he was ranked No. 8. He opened the 2007 campaign with a season best throw of 70-9.25 to win the Reebok Boston Indoor championship, beating Cantwell, along with Hoffa, who was ranked No. 1 in the world. He was second at the Drake Relays and U.S. Outdoor Championships in 2007.
In 2004 Taylor became the first athlete ever to win the NCAA Division I Indoor shot put and weight throw championships in the same year while competing for Ohio State. He finished second in the shot put at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was sixth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed fifth at the 2005 U.S. Indoor Championships.
Cantwell captured the 2004 World Indoor title in Budapest, Hungary. A seven-time NCAA All-American and a six-time Big 12 Conference champion at the University of Missouri, Cantwell grabbed international attention for the first time in his career by winning the 2003 World Athletes Final in Monaco against many of the world's best shot putters.
The 6-foot 6-inch 325-pound Cantwell was named the outstanding performer of the 2002 Drake Relays after winning the invitational shot put with a throw of 69-1.25, while beating a field which included Canadian Olympian Brad Snyder, who was ranked No. 9 in the world, and nationally ranked U.S. throwers Hoffa and Kevin Toth, along with then NCAA champion Carl Myerscough from Nebraska.
He won the 2003 Drake Relays title with a throw of 69-5.25 that was the best outdoor collegiate throw at the time and defended that crown with a winning toss of 67-8.75 in 2004.
Scott, 27, was second in the 2007 Pan American Games and set a Jamaica national record in 2008 with a throw of 70-4.25 to win the Florida State Relays.
Robison earned a spot on Pro Football Weekly's All-Rookie team in 2007. As a junior at Texas, Robison was second in the shot put at the 2006 NCAA Championship and won the Big 12 Conference shot put title in 2005 and 2006.
