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Jake Norris, Denzel Comenentia Meet in Early Season Hammer Throw Battle at Texas RelaysPublished by
SEC standouts square off for first time outdoors at 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor The top two NCAA Division 1 athletes in the men’s hammer throw are scheduled to meet for the first time Thursday at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. LSU freshman Jake Norris and Georgia junior Denzel Comenentia are the only collegiate performers who have surpassed 238 feet so far this season. In their only indoor meeting, Comenentia captured the weight throw title Feb. 24 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in College Station, Texas, with Norris placing seventh. Norris took over the World U20 hammer throw lead Friday at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge with a 238-6 (72.70m) effort at Arizona State’s Sun Angel Stadium. Norris also surpassed the British U20 record with a 7.26-kilogram hammer, eclipsing the 2015 standard of 227-8 (69.39m) set by Taylor Campbell. Norris, the European U20 silver medalist, elevated to No. 2 in LSU history, trailing only the 2010 mark of 239-5 (72.98m) set by Walter Henning. That same year, Henning won the Texas Relays with a throw of 236-1 (71.96m), the only LSU champion in the event since the hammer was added to the meet schedule in 1994. Comenentia opened his outdoor season March 16 by throwing a personal-best 238-3 (72.63m) at the Yellow Jacket Invitational at Georgia Tech, improving to No. 2 in program history, trailing only the 2002 record of 260-2 (79.30m) of Andras Haklits. Comenentia placed fifth at the NCAA outdoor final last year with a mark of 235-4 (71.75m). Comenentia is looking to become the first Georgia male athlete to win the hammer throw at Texas Relays. Jenny Dahlgren prevailed in the women’s competition for the Bulldogs in 2007. Comenentia finished second last year at Texas Relays with a throw of 233-8 (71.22m), trailing Alexander Young of Southeastern Louisiana at 235-5 (71.77m). Young went on to place runner-up at the Division 1 championship in June. Libor Charfreitag of SMU set the hammer throw meet record of 246-6 (75.14m) in 2000. More news |