USA Track & Field Foundation awards Elite Athlete Development Grants to 64 athletes

USA Track & Field Foundation awards Elite Athlete Development Grants to 64 athletes

PITTSBURGH – The USA Track & Field Foundation has awarded grants totaling $269,000 to 64 elite track & field athletes announced Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld. The Foundation plans to award over $1,000,000 in grants in 2018, which is a new record.

In an effort to simplify the USATF Foundation’s Elite Athlete Development Grant program, there will be shift in the grant award schedule for this year and subsequent years.  In 2018, the USATF Foundation will award another round of Elite Athlete Development grants following USATF Outdoor Championships in July.  In addition, the Foundation will also award Stephen A. Schwarzman grants at that time.  The Stephen A. Schwarzman grants are the Foundation’s largest grants and were positively received last year. Moving forward, the Foundation will award the majority of all grants in the summer following the USATF Outdoor Championships.

The 2018 track & field season does not include an international World Competition so many athletes will utilize this year to rebuild and to focus on training and strategy.  The athletes will use the funds for medical care, equipment and travel expenses as they prepare for the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa this summer.

“We are very pleased to be ableto support these amazing athletes in reaching their performance goals in 2018 and beyond. The new grant schedule should give recipients more financial flexibility and allow them to better focus on training and performance,” stated Foundation Director Ismail Amin.

61 talented athletes will be awarded Elite Athlete Development Grants from the Foundation in the amount of $4,000.

SPRINTERS/HURDLERS & MULTIEVENT

JASMIN STOWERS, 100H

SHARIKA NELVIS, 100H

KYRA JEFFERSON, 200M

JAIDE STEPTER, 400H

GEORGANNE MOLINE, 400H

BARBARA NWABA, HEPTATHLON

RONNIE BAKER, 100M

TJ HOLMES, 400H

BRYON ROBINSON, 400H

QUINCY DOWNING, 400H

DEVON WILLIAMS, DECATHLON

JEREMY TAIWO, DECATHLON

JARRET EATON, 110H

MARCUS CHAMBERS, 400M

VERNON NORWOOD, 400M

KYLE CLEMONS, 400M

STEVEN BASTIEN, DECATHLON

MIDDLE/LONG DISTANCE AND RACE WALK

SARA VAUGHN, 1500M

HANNAH FIELDS, 1500M

CHRISHUNA WILLIAMS, 800M

ALLIE KIEFFER, MARATHON

SHADRACK KIPCHIRCHIR, 10K

ABBABIYA SIMBASSA, 10K

CRAIG ENGELS, 1500M

JOHNNY GREGOREK, 1500M

STANLEY KEBENEI, STEEPLE

DREW PIAZZA, 800M

SHANNON OSIKA, 1500M

AMANDA ECCLESTON, 1500M

STEPHANIE GARCIA, 5K/STEEPLE

BEN BLANKENSHIP, 1500M

COLBY ALEXANDER, 1500M

ERIK SOWINSKI, 800M

MASON FERLIC, STEEPLE

MARIA MICHTA-COFFEY, RACE WALK

THROWERS, JUMPERS

WHITNEY ASHLEY, DISCUS

MONIQUE RIDDICK, SHOT PUT

MASON FINLEY, DISCUS

ALEXANDER YOUNG, HAMMER

DARRELL HILL, SHOT PUT

TORI FRANKLIN, TRIPLE JUMP

QUANESHA BURKS, LONG JUMP

SHA’KEELA SAUNDERS, LONG JUMP

KATHRYN NAGEOTTE, POLE VAULT

MORGANN LELEUX, POLE VAULT

BRYAN MCBRIDE, HIGH JUMP

ANDREW IRWIN, POLE VAULT

DONALD SCOTT, TRIPLE JUMP

RYAN WHITING, SHOT PUT

KELSEY CARD, DISCUS

SHELBI VAUGHAN, DISCUS

KARA WINGER, JAVELIN

JASMINE TODD, LONG JUMP

BRITTANY SMITH, SHOT PUT

FELISHA JOHNSON, SHOT PUT

SAM MATTIS, DISCUS

RODNEY BROWN, DISCUS

ANDREW EVANS, DISCUS

SEAN DONNELLY, HAMMER

MICHAEL HARTFIELD, LONG JUMP

CONOR MCCOLLOUGH, HAMMER

Also receiving an Elite Athlete Development Grant as a part of the USATF Foundation’s Adopt an Athlete Program are the following three athletes:

AMANDA BINGSON, HAMMER – $10,000

WAVERLY NEER, MIDDLE DISTANCE – $10,000

STEPHANIE SCHAPPERT, 1500M – $5,000

Additionally, all of these athletes will have the opportunity to appear at various schools and community venues across the country in the USA Track & Field Foundation’s Run With US! program.  In each Run With US! event, Olympic athletes and Olympic hopefuls inform kids on what it means to be a professional athlete and how setting goals and making healthy choices have impacted their lives. The program provides an opportunity for the athletes to give back to their community.



The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track and field programs with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging and experienced elite athletes, along with guidance on future career paths. The Foundation depends upon donations from its Board of Directors, major gifts, and from generous fans of track & field.

Elite athletes are supported by the Foundation via monetary grants, career counseling (mentoring and jobs) and participation in Run With US!. Youth athletes are supported via monetary grants to youth clubs.

For more information, or to contribute to the USA Track & Field Foundation, Click Here or contact Tom Jackovic at (412) 398-2484 or tjackovic@usatffoundation.org.