2015 NCAA Men's Shot Put Preview
2015 NCAA Men's Shot Put Preview
Ryan Crouser, Texas (PB 21.39m)
Last Year: 1st Indoors, 1st Outdoors
Nobody touched Crouser in 2014. He went undefeated in every shot put contest, capturing Big 12 titles, as well as dominating the NCAA field indoors and outdoors. He was also the only competitor over 21 meters in 2014 and will be seeking his fourth NCAA shot put title come March.
Stephen Mozia, Cornell (PB 20.79m)
Last Year: 2nd Indoors, 2nd Outdoors
Some may say Mozia is right on Crouser’s heels, since he finished runner-up in both NCAA championships to the Longhorn. Could he be the one to end Crouser’s streak? Perhaps. He’s made great strides to become a 2x NCAA runner-up, and a Mozia/Crouser matchup should be something to look forward to in 2015.
Last Year: 1st Indoors, 1st Outdoors
Nobody touched Crouser in 2014. He went undefeated in every shot put contest, capturing Big 12 titles, as well as dominating the NCAA field indoors and outdoors. He was also the only competitor over 21 meters in 2014 and will be seeking his fourth NCAA shot put title come March.
Stephen Mozia, Cornell (PB 20.79m)
Last Year: 2nd Indoors, 2nd Outdoors
Some may say Mozia is right on Crouser’s heels, since he finished runner-up in both NCAA championships to the Longhorn. Could he be the one to end Crouser’s streak? Perhaps. He’s made great strides to become a 2x NCAA runner-up, and a Mozia/Crouser matchup should be something to look forward to in 2015.
Nick Vena, Georgia (PB 20.39m)
Last Year: 9th Indoors, 3rd Outdoors
Vena was the third-most consistent performer of 2014, behind favorites Crouser and Mozia. While he narrowly missed First Team All-American in indoor, he came back to inch closer to Mozia when he finished third in Eugene. He’ll need about another foot to his throw to come close to competing with the top two, but his consistency is on his side.
Darrell Hill, Penn State (PB 20.57m)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 15th Outdoors
The 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Champion will be one to watch in 2015. Hill didn’t throw over 19 meters during the indoor season in ’14, but threw a monster PB of 20.57m to capture the Big Ten title and make him a threat for All American honors. While he only finished 15th, last season should give him a boost moving into his senior year at PSU.
Stipe Zunic, Florida (PB 20.68m)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 6th Outdoors
Zunic got better and better throughout 2014. His season came to an end on an extremely high note when he finished fourth at the European Championships with his career-best and school record throw of 20.68m. Zunic has been an All American javelin thrower in the past, but with the Croatian finding his stride with the shot put, the Gators will be looking for big points this season.
Last Year: 9th Indoors, 3rd Outdoors
Vena was the third-most consistent performer of 2014, behind favorites Crouser and Mozia. While he narrowly missed First Team All-American in indoor, he came back to inch closer to Mozia when he finished third in Eugene. He’ll need about another foot to his throw to come close to competing with the top two, but his consistency is on his side.
Darrell Hill, Penn State (PB 20.57m)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 15th Outdoors
The 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Champion will be one to watch in 2015. Hill didn’t throw over 19 meters during the indoor season in ’14, but threw a monster PB of 20.57m to capture the Big Ten title and make him a threat for All American honors. While he only finished 15th, last season should give him a boost moving into his senior year at PSU.
Stipe Zunic, Florida (PB 20.68m)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 6th Outdoors
Zunic got better and better throughout 2014. His season came to an end on an extremely high note when he finished fourth at the European Championships with his career-best and school record throw of 20.68m. Zunic has been an All American javelin thrower in the past, but with the Croatian finding his stride with the shot put, the Gators will be looking for big points this season.
Nicholas Scarvelis, UCLA (PB 19.62m)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 10th Outdoors
Scarvelis is our dark horse after he dominated the Pac-12 outdoor competition. He’s poised to join the ranks of the top guns in 2015 and break the 20 meter barrier that he continuously kept inching to last season.
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 10th Outdoors
Scarvelis is our dark horse after he dominated the Pac-12 outdoor competition. He’s poised to join the ranks of the top guns in 2015 and break the 20 meter barrier that he continuously kept inching to last season.