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Ratcliffe Dominating Hammer At PrincetonPublished by
Ratcliffe Dominating Hammer At Princeton By ELLIOTT DENMAN PRINCETON, N.J. - Veteran throwing events official Wayne Sadowski calls Julia Ratcliffe "The Whirling Dervish." It's a very good call. Wind her up, see her spin around the hammer throw circle, and this Princeton University sophomore sensationevolves into a great blur. Her footwork is invariably perfect. She rarely, if ever, fouls. And when she releases her favorite implement, it's destined for a long, long ride. For Ratcliffe, it's been one big performance after another this spring - five meets, five meet records. She's on the smallish size but always comes up big with some amazing speed, control and technique. Princeton coaches Fred Samara, Peter Farrell and Brian Mondschein know they have something very special in this dazzling Kiwi. She came to Princeton - Tigertown USA - from New Zealand in the fall of 2012 with a reputation as one of the world's top junior throwers. She'd placed 10th in the 2009 World Youth Championships, 11th in the 2011 Youth Olympic Games, and fourth in the 2012 World Junior Championships. And she's delivered on that promise from Day One at Princeton. In her very first indoor meet for the Tigers, she set an Ivy League record in the 20-pound weight throw. In her first outdoor meet, she crushed the Ivy record in the hammer throw. This sophomore spring has seen her throw in five meets - and wreck records every time out. Her 2014 progression: 62.97 meters / 206 feet, 7 inches at the Disney Invitational in Florida; 66.31 / 217-6 at the Monmouth University Season Opener; 68.71 / 225-5at Princeton's Sam Howell Meet; 69.60 / 228-4 at the Princeton Quadrangular Meet, and 70.28 / 230-7 at the Larry Invitational Meet. "She was incredible," lauded Sadowski, the hammer throw chief official. After three straight weeks at her home cage, Ratcliffe - the NCAA hammer leader thus far - takes her "Whirling Dervish" act on the road this weekend, to the Penn Relays. "So we'll see how good she is away from Princeton," said Samara. Just who are the "Whirling Dervishes?" Some quick research: They date back to ancient Turkey, their whirls are a religious observance full of symbolism. Their whirls denote the spiritual journey that every believer goes through. The first represents the recognition of God, the second recognition of the existence in his unity, the third the ecstasy experienced in total surrender, the fourth symbolizes peace of heart due to this Divine Unity. Looking at it that way, it's not very far from four Ratcliffe turns around the ring...as the hammer aligns for its divine journey. When Californian Conor McCullough came to Princeton four years ago, credentialed as the top junior hammer thrower in the nation, he also helped dedicate the brand-new Tiger throwing areas at West Windsor Fields, due east of Weaver Stadium, the university's world-class track and field venue. Some even guessed the West Windsor throws zone was created just for McCullough. To the great disappointment of Samara and others in the Princeton track family, however, McCullough left the university two years ago. But, as McCullough left, smiles returned with Ratcliffe's arrival. After Penn Relays, Ratcliffe's attention turns to the championship phase of the collegiate season - Heps, IC4As and NCAAs. And then she'll whirl away to Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer. ////// Princeton 2012 alumna Ashley Higginson was in the Larry Ellis Meet spotlight, too. Sure it's early days into the world outdoor track season, but Higginson's 9:35.72 win in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase last Friday night was full of meaning. An eye-opening performance, it put the Colts Neck High School and Princeton grad, who was the top American finisher in the steeplechase at last August's World Championships in Moscow, atop the 2014 world list, supplanting the 9:42:01 that Australian Victoria Mitchell ran at Melbourne on April 5. Now running for the New Jersey - New York Track Club while attending Rutgers Law School, Higginson, a star prospect since her age-group days, has the ability and motivation to get to the very top. Similarly for Robby Andrews and Ajee' Wilson - like Higginson graduates of Shore Conference (N.J.) high schools. Manalapan High/U. of Virginia's Andrews opened his outdoor season with a 3:42:54 win in the men's 1,500 meters; Neptune's Ajee' Wilson, the two-time Indoor National titlist now a pro running for adidas, claimed the women's 800 in 2:03.81. Other top Larry Ellis meet marks include Temple grad/ NJNYTC's Travis Mahoney's 8: 43.09 men's steeplechase win over Georgetown's Darren Fahy (8:43.12); and a 13:58.52 5,000-meter win by Princeton's Tyler Udland over another Tyler, Mueller of Lehigh (13:58.51). Back to the field events, Penn sophomore Sam Mattis of East Brunswick crashed through the 200-foot barrier for the first time with a win at 203-0; NYAC's Jake Freeman led the male hammer throwers at 220-0, and Shore AC's Barry Krammes, third at 2013 Nationals, opened his season with a 229-9 javelin win. Speaking of Conor McCullough, he's back in California now, returning to top form, and hoping to represent his father's native land of Ireland in future events. The Mount San Antonio College Relays last weekend saw Slovakia's Marcel Lomnicky win the hammer at 251-10, besting McCullough's 237-11.
Photo: IvyLeagueSports.com/Princeton Athletic Communications HashtagsNone
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Ratcliffe Dominating Hammer At PrincetonPublished by
Ratcliffe Dominating Hammer At Princeton By ELLIOTT DENMAN PRINCETON, N.J. - Veteran throwing events official Wayne Sadowski calls Julia Ratcliffe "The Whirling Dervish." It's a very good call. Wind her up, see her spin around the hammer throw circle, and this Princeton University sophomore sensationevolves into a great blur. Her footwork is invariably perfect. She rarely, if ever, fouls. And when she releases her favorite implement, it's destined for a long, long ride. For Ratcliffe, it's been one big performance after another this spring - five meets, five meet records. She's on the smallish size but always comes up big with some amazing speed, control and technique. Princeton coaches Fred Samara, Peter Farrell and Brian Mondschein know they have something very special in this dazzling Kiwi. She came to Princeton - Tigertown USA - from New Zealand in the fall of 2012 with a reputation as one of the world's top junior throwers. She'd placed 10th in the 2009 World Youth Championships, 11th in the 2011 Youth Olympic Games, and fourth in the 2012 World Junior Championships. And she's delivered on that promise from Day One at Princeton. In her very first indoor meet for the Tigers, she set an Ivy League record in the 20-pound weight throw. In her first outdoor meet, she crushed the Ivy record in the hammer throw. This sophomore spring has seen her throw in five meets - and wreck records every time out. Her 2014 progression: 62.97 meters / 206 feet, 7 inches at the Disney Invitational in Florida; 66.31 / 217-6 at the Monmouth University Season Opener; 68.71 / 225-5at Princeton's Sam Howell Meet; 69.60 / 228-4 at the Princeton Quadrangular Meet, and 70.28 / 230-7 at the Larry Invitational Meet. "She was incredible," lauded Sadowski, the hammer throw chief official. After three straight weeks at her home cage, Ratcliffe - the NCAA hammer leader thus far - takes her "Whirling Dervish" act on the road this weekend, to the Penn Relays. "So we'll see how good she is away from Princeton," said Samara. Just who are the "Whirling Dervishes?" Some quick research: They date back to ancient Turkey, their whirls are a religious observance full of symbolism. Their whirls denote the spiritual journey that every believer goes through. The first represents the recognition of God, the second recognition of the existence in his unity, the third the ecstasy experienced in total surrender, the fourth symbolizes peace of heart due to this Divine Unity. Looking at it that way, it's not very far from four Ratcliffe turns around the ring...as the hammer aligns for its divine journey. When Californian Conor McCullough came to Princeton four years ago, credentialed as the top junior hammer thrower in the nation, he also helped dedicate the brand-new Tiger throwing areas at West Windsor Fields, due east of Weaver Stadium, the university's world-class track and field venue. Some even guessed the West Windsor throws zone was created just for McCullough. To the great disappointment of Samara and others in the Princeton track family, however, McCullough left the university two years ago. But, as McCullough left, smiles returned with Ratcliffe's arrival. After Penn Relays, Ratcliffe's attention turns to the championship phase of the collegiate season - Heps, IC4As and NCAAs. And then she'll whirl away to Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer. ////// Princeton 2012 alumna Ashley Higginson was in the Larry Ellis Meet spotlight, too. Sure it's early days into the world outdoor track season, but Higginson's 9:35.72 win in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase last Friday night was full of meaning. An eye-opening performance, it put the Colts Neck High School and Princeton grad, who was the top American finisher in the steeplechase at last August's World Championships in Moscow, atop the 2014 world list, supplanting the 9:42:01 that Australian Victoria Mitchell ran at Melbourne on April 5. Now running for the New Jersey - New York Track Club while attending Rutgers Law School, Higginson, a star prospect since her age-group days, has the ability and motivation to get to the very top. Similarly for Robby Andrews and Ajee' Wilson - like Higginson graduates of Shore Conference (N.J.) high schools. Manalapan High/U. of Virginia's Andrews opened his outdoor season with a 3:42:54 win in the men's 1,500 meters; Neptune's Ajee' Wilson, the two-time Indoor National titlist now a pro running for adidas, claimed the women's 800 in 2:03.81. Other top Larry Ellis meet marks include Temple grad/ NJNYTC's Travis Mahoney's 8: 43.09 men's steeplechase win over Georgetown's Darren Fahy (8:43.12); and a 13:58.52 5,000-meter win by Princeton's Tyler Udland over another Tyler, Mueller of Lehigh (13:58.51). Back to the field events, Penn sophomore Sam Mattis of East Brunswick crashed through the 200-foot barrier for the first time with a win at 203-0; NYAC's Jake Freeman led the male hammer throwers at 220-0, and Shore AC's Barry Krammes, third at 2013 Nationals, opened his season with a 229-9 javelin win. Speaking of Conor McCullough, he's back in California now, returning to top form, and hoping to represent his father's native land of Ireland in future events. The Mount San Antonio College Relays last weekend saw Slovakia's Marcel Lomnicky win the hammer at 251-10, besting McCullough's 237-11.
Photo: IvyLeagueSports.com/Princeton Athletic Communications More news |
