Crouser surpasses 23-meter barrier for first time in his career, achieves best global performance since 1990 with 75-6 (23.01m) effort to improve to No. 3 all-time competitor behind Barnes and Timmerman; Berry, Cunningham, Malone, McEwen, Rose, Thompson, Winkler and Woodard also earn victories in Tucson

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Ryan Crouser achieved a career milestone Saturday night at the USATF Throws Festival in Tucson, Ariz., by surpassing the 23-meter mark for the first time in the shot put.

He also celebrated an achievement no other athlete in the history of the sport has produced with a pair of 75-foot performances in the same series.

In a showdown of the top three American competitors, as well as all three medalists from the 2019 World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, Crouser wasn’t going to come up short again, producing a lifetime-best 75-6 (23.01m) in the fifth round to take over the world lead and elevate to the No. 3 competitor in event history.

CROUSER 75-6 (23.01m) SHOT PUT | WEBCAST REPLAY | USATF THROWS FESTIVAL ON-DEMAND VIDEOS AVAILABLE AT USATF.TV WITH RUNNERSPACE+PLUS SUBSCRIPTION

Crouser, who achieved the top mark globally since 1990 and the fourth-best all-time outdoor effort, concluded his series with a 75-foot performance (22.86m) in the sixth round.

Only American Randy Barnes at 75-10.25 (23.12m) and Ulf Timmerman of Germany at 75-8 (23.06m) have produced better all-time marks than Crouser. The top four shot put performances in history have all been achieved in May.

Crouser finished with five marks surpassing 22 meters, giving him 14 outdoor efforts beyond the barrier this season, and 127 for his career, including 112 outdoors. Crouser achieved five 22-meter performances Thursday at the Tucson Elite Classic, highlighted by a 74-1.75 (22.60m) in the final round.

Crouser, who also surpassed his own facility record of 74-4.50 (22.67m) from 2019, now has 49 career competitions with at least one 22-meter effort, including 42 outdoors.

Joe Kovacs, the reigning World gold medalist who entered the meet with a global-leading 74-6.50 (22.72m), secured second Saturday with a second-round performance of 72-3.75 (22.04m).

Darrell Hill took third with a 71-9.50 (21.88m) mark in the final round to move ahead of World bronze medalist Tomas Walsh of New Zealand, who produced a fourth-round effort of 70-11.25 (21.62m).

There were similar showcases of depth from American athletes in both hammer throw competitions, including three men eclipsing the 79-meter barrier and four U.S. female athletes surpassing 75 meters.

Rudy Winkler, already the world leader with his 268-11 (81.98m) performance from April 23 at the USATF Grand Prix at the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., added two more 81-meter efforts to his career resume.

Winkler, the No. 2 competitor in American history, won the competition with a third-round throw of 267-2 (81.44m) and added a 266-3 (81.17m) throw in the fifth round.

Sean Donnelly elevated to the No. 6 all-time American competitor with a third-round effort of 260-1 (79.27m) and Daniel Haugh ascended to No. 10 in U.S. history with a fourth-round performance of 259-3 (79.03m).

Donnelly and Haugh rank fourth and fifth in the world this year, giving three Americans the Olympic standard, more than any country in the world this season.

The world hammer throw rankings now have four American women at the top, with the top two competitors this season finishing second and third Saturday.

Gwen Berry surpassed her own facility record from 2016 to prevail with a fifth-round throw of 251-11 (76.79m) to improve to No. 3 in the world this year.

Brooke Andersen, who ranks No. 2 globally this season, finished second with a fourth-round effort of 250-6 (76.36m). Andersen achieved the No. 3 throw in American history April 10 with her mark of 256-6 (78.18m).

DeAnna Price, who improved on her own American record April 9 with a 257-10 (78.60m) performance, took third Saturday with a fifth-round mark of 248-11 (75.88m).

Price, Andersen and Berry are the top three athletes in American history and the world this year.

Janee’ Kassanavoid ascended to fourth in the world and the No. 5 all-time American competitor by opening her series with a lifetime-best 247-8 (75.50m) effort.

Annette Echikunwoke, representing Nigeria, achieved a personal-best 247-8 (75.49m) throw in the first round to improve to No. 5 in the world this year.

Shelby McEwen equaled the No. 2 high jump clearance by an American and No. 3 in the world this year by soaring over the 7-7.75 (2.33m) bar on his first attempt to surpass the facility record of 7-6.50 (2.30m) held since 2014 by former Arizona standout Nick Ross.

Django Lovett, representing Canada, cleared 7-6 (2.29m) on his second attempt and then concluded his competition.

Vashti Cunningham improved on her own No. 2 high jump performance in the world this year by clearing 6-6.25 (1.99m) on her first attempt. Cunningham, an eight-time U.S. champion, needed a third-attempt clearance at 6-5 (1.96m) to remain in the competition, along with friend and training partner Jelena Rowe, who cleared 6-5 on her first opportunity.

Cunningham missed two tries at 6-7 (2.01m), which would have been the world leader and a new lifetime-best effort.

Maggie Malone continued her stretch of personal-best performances in the javelin with a fourth-round throw of 209-4 (63.81m), ascending to No. 10 in the world this year.

Malone, who surpassed the 2010 facility record held by Kara Winger, improved to the No. 4 all-time American competitor.

Ariana Ince, No. 5 in U.S. history, placed second Saturday with a fourth-round effort of 202-2 (61.64m) and Canadian Elizabeth Gleadle took third with her opening throw of 201-5 (61.41m).

Kara Winger, competing for the first time since August following ACL surgery, finished fourth with a sixth-round throw of 200 feet (60.97m).

Alex Rose improved on his own Samoan national record in the discus and elevated to No. 3 in the world this year with a sixth-round throw of 221-4 (67.48m), surpassing his 220-4 (67.17m) performance from March 30 in Michigan.

Fedrick Dacres of Jamaica placed second with his opening-round mark of 213-11 (65.20m) and American Brian Williams took third with a sixth-round effort of 206-6 (62.96m).

American Jessica Woodard, already No. 8 in the world this year, won the women’s shot put by opening her series with a mark of 61-10.25 (18.85m).

Jessica Ramsey, also representing the U.S., equaled her season-best and No. 15 global performance with a third-round effort of 61-1.50 (18.63m).

Canada’s Sarah Mitton took third with a 60-6.75 (18.46m) mark in the first round, with Dutch athlete and Arizona State standout Jorinde van Klinken – who achieved the best discus throw ever by a collegiate athlete earlier in the meet with a world-leading 230-4 (70.22m) performance – placing fifth with a personal-best 59-3 (18.06m).

Curtis Thompson produced the top javelin throw by a U.S. male athlete this season and improved to No. 17 in the world with a second-round mark of 267-2 (81.44m).

Fellow American Riley Dolezal placed second with a fifth-round throw of 262 feet (79.86m) and Ethan Shalaway was third with a personal-best 254-10 (77.67m) in the third round.