May 8, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
In only his second competitive meet since last July, Illinois State track and field assistant coach Jeff Chakouian finished in third place in the shot put at the 66th Annual Coca Cola Modesto Relays on May 5 in Modesto, Calif. Chakouian, who is the Redbirds' mentor in the throws, recorded the 10th farthest throw in the world this year while improving five spots in the world rankings.
Chakouian tossed a throw of 66-07.00 feet in his second to last attempt, at one of the country's elite track and field events. The former six-time NCAA All-American jumped to No. 25 on the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) world rankings after his performance. He finished behind Christian Cantwell (first place) and Dan Taylor (second), who are ranked first and third in the IAAF, respectively.
The Modesto Relays, located on the campus of Modesto Junior College, have been recognized as one of the most historic and exclusive track and field meets in the world. Established in 1942, the relays have witnessed 33 world records as well as countless memorable performances from such track legends as Carl Lewis, Bob Hayes, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence Griffith Joyner, Steve Prefontaine and Jim Ryun.
Chakouian, who competes for the Shore Athletic Club (New Jersey), felt that he was able to perform well even though the wooden, indoor-style throwing ring took some adjustments.
"I was pretty pleased with my performance last weekend," said Chakouian. "They kind of threw us a curveball because they put a wooden ring in the center of the field and that's what we threw out of. Essentially we threw out of an indoor ring, which isn't a big deal but a lot of people complained about because its slick. I try to not let the elements bother me.
"It's a little different, my first three throws I was slipping around. But I did some work in between the finals and figured out and what I was doing wrong. From there I had three good throws. During my best throw, my hand kind of rolled over the top of the shot as I threw, and I was a little impatient, so it didn't even come out right. It was one of those things that if I can get a good flick on it, that I can add another foot or two pretty easily."
Chakouian will be back in competition on May 19, when he throws at the Tucson Elite in Tucson, Ariz. The throw-specific event will host another field of nationally and internationally ranked throwers. He will have one more tune-up in Provo, Utah, on June 1-2 in preparation for the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 20-24 in Indianapolis.
"I'm excited about Tucson, after my last three throws in Modesto I wish there was another meet 20 minutes later," said Chakouian. "It's one of those things where I can't wait to get back out there and compete. I want to throw a lot farther than what I did. It's going to be another very good field, as it is an elite throws meet. The atmosphere and competition will be good, I just got to make sure that I can stay healthy and get some solid training in and throw far."
