Truman’s Rashaud Scott wins the NCAA discus for Kentucky Wildcats
DES MOINES, Iowa – Rashaud Scott, a graduate of Truman of the Bronx, won the NCAA discus throw for the University of Kentucky on Friday here on the campus of Drake University.
He became the first PSAL graduate ever to win the event, and the first to win any NCAA throwing event since the legendary Gary Gubner, who went to DeWitt Clinton (Bronx), won the shot put for NYU in 1963 and 1964. (In addition, Ken Bantum won the shot put in 1956 for Manhattan College after graduating from John Adams, Ozone Park, Queens, and Bernie Mayer of the Bronx won the 1946 shot put for NYU after spending World War II in the Marine Corps.)
“I played football and did track in high school,” said Scott, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound junior. “I played defensive end four years in football, and in track I did shot and discus.
“But I didn’t throw discus much. I threw it maybe five times all of high school. I’d throw it off a beat-up circle, like at Clinton, where we had some of our meets. My high school PR was about 135 feet.”
In Friday’s competition, Scott was standing 7th, at 183-10, after the first three preliminary rounds. In Round 4, Yemi Ayeni of Virginia suddenly advanced from 8th to 1st with a throw of 195-2, and Scott was up next.
“On my second and third throws, it slipped off my hand,” he said, “but the 4th throw was much better. On that throw, I just tried to wait a little longer and to take things slower. I knew in my head that if I got a good throw, that I could be national champion.”
It was a long throw to the right side of the sector, 199-8 – just 2 inches short of his lifetime outdoor best – but there were plenty of throws remaining.
“I was waiting to see if anyone would pass me,” Scott said, “but, I won, so I am happy.” Ayeni wound up 2nd, Clendon Henderson of Liberty 3rd (192-7). Ayeni, Nigerian-born, was Penn Relays champion three years ago for South Brunswick H.S. in New Jersey, giving Easterners a sweep of the top places in an event historically dominated by athletes from the West or Europe.
But Scott’s season had nearly been lost earlier in the spring. “I banged up my knee. Coming off indoors, it was really bad. I took three or four weeks off.
“But I had been feeling better the last few weeks.” He won the Mideast Regional with a lifetime best, 199-10. (Technically, Scott has a better throw, 203-4, which he threw in a rare indoor discus competition in January.)
This is the first year at Kentucky for Scott, a 21-year-old kinesiology major, after two seasons at Mesa Community College in Arizona.
“I thought I’d be more of a shot putter,” he said. Scott had a high school best of 58 feet in the shot. “But it turns out there was a discus thrower sleeping in there.”
At Mesa he quickly improved, under the tutelage of his throws coach, Selmer Olson. Olson had also coached Doug Reynolds – Scott’s throws coach at Kentucky – and Sheldon Battle, a fellow New Yorker. “I knew him,” Scott said of Battle, “and he went to Mesa, so I thought it would be a good idea to go there.”
At Mesa he improved rapidly, and finished his freshman season with bests of 56 feet in the shot and 198-6 in the discus.
Scott has also qualified for the shot put final, to be held tomorrow, and then it’s on to the Olympic Trials in the discus later this month in Eugene, Ore. “I’m going to go in there and try and play with the big boys,” he said.
OTHER RESULTS
Men’s pole vault Luke Schoen, a sophomore at Albany who went to West Islip, cleared 17-2 ¾ and finished 5th.
Women’s hammer Kristen Callan (Monroe-Woodbury) finished 9th for Virginia Tech, throwing 205-10.
Men’s triple jump qualifying Rayon Taylor, who went to Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey and won the NCAA championship last year for Cornell, advanced to this year’s TJ final in his sole year of eligibility for Florida State. “I feel strong, I feel fast,” Taylor said. The Seminoles are trying to win their 3rd consecutive outdoor team championship. Taylor jumped 52-3 ¾. Muhammad Halim (D’Amico HS, Albion NY), Taylor’s teammate a year ago at Cornell, also advanced to Saturday’s final, jumping 52-10 ¾. Dexter Jules (Manhattan College) did not record a mark and failed to advance.
Women’s high jump Priscilla Frederick, freshman at St. John’s, cleared 5-9 ¾ -- equaling the lifetime best she set in the qualifying round – and tied for 12th.
Men’s hammer Paul Peulich finished 10th for Manhattan College, throwing a lifetime best, 213-3.
Men’s high hurdles Ramon Sosa (Brentwood, LI) of Syracuse finished a non-qualifying 7th in the semifinals, in 13.92.
Women’s 400 In Semi I, Shana Cox (Holy Trinity) of Penn State, one of the favorites in the event, finished 1st in 51.70; Jenna Griffin (Franklin Twp, NJ) of Ohio State was 4th in 52.77, and Cox’s Penn State teammate, Dominque Blake (Truman, Bronx) 5th in 53.08. Griffin advanced to the final on time, but Blake was beaten out for the last spot in the final by Brandi Cross of South Carolina, who ran 52.92 for 4th place in Semi II.
Men’s 400 Arman Dixon (Beacon, NY), a senior at Sacred Heart, and Charles Cox (Monmouth Regl, NJ), a freshman at North Carolina, were eliminated in the semifinals. Dixon was 4th in Semi I at 46.27, Cox 8th in Semi II at 47.37.
Men’s steeplechase Kyle Heath, junior at Syracuse who went to Victor HS in Ontario County, finished 6th in 8:38.03, a lifetime best.
Men’s 400 hurdles Reuben McCoy (Winslow Twp, NJ) lost a thrilling stretch battle to Washington State freshman Jeshua Anderson, 48.69-48.71. McCoy is a senior at Auburn.
Women’s 5,000 Nicole Blood, a star at Saratoga Springs before moving to California her senior year, finished 3rd for Oregon, losing a stretch battle to Angela Bizzarri of Illinois.
Men’s high jump Justin Frick, a Princeton sophomore from nearby Freehold Township, cleared 7-0 ¼ and finished 11th.
Men’s 5,000 Iona’s Abraham Ng’etich finished 14th in 14:05.73. Villanova’s Bobby Curtis ran a strong final lap to win it.