19 Feb USA Track & Field Foundation awards Elite Athlete Development Grants to 58 athletes
INDIANAPOLIS – In the wake of the excitement surrounding the upcoming 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, the USA Track & Field Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2016 Elite Athlete Development Grants. The list is highlighted by Stephen Schwarzman Grantees, many of whom are 2016 Rio Games medal contenders. In all, the Foundation awarded 58 Elite Athlete Development Grants in the first round totaling $297,000 announced Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld.
The funding comes at an imperative time for the athletes as they strive to achieve their dream of competing in the Olympic Games. The Athlete Grant Program contributes to the pursuit of world-class performances by American post-collegiate track & field athletes. The Foundation provides assistance to athletes that meet its grant application criteria, including income thresholds and performance standards.
“This is a tremendous group of athletes, all of whom have achieved success in both their professional and personal lives. A few of them won medals at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, and several others were very close. Even with their records of achievement, funding for these and other elite level track & field athletes in the U.S. is difficult to sustain. The stakes are the highest in an Olympic year, and we hope that these grants will help all of them continue to train and perform at a high level,” stated USATF Foundation Director Mark Quinn.
At the top of their class are the Stephen Schwarzman Grantees that are recognized for their success on an international level and for having excellent potential to be in medal contention in the Rio Summer Games. There are 12 athletes receiving this prestigious award.
The 8 athletes receiving funding of $10,000 each are:
Johnny Dutch – 400H
Michael Hartfield – Long jump
Jeff Henderson – Long jump
Jasmin Stowers – 100H
Keni Harrison – 100H/400H
Tori Bowie – Sprints
Joe Kovacs – Shot put
Boris Berian – 800M
The 4 athletes receiving funding of $5,000 each are:
Morgan Uceny – 1500M
Alysia Montano – 800M
Wallace Spearmon – 200M
Kara Winger – Javelin
41 dedicated athletes will be awarded Elite Athlete Development Grants from the Foundation.
The 12 athletes to receive funding in the amount of $5,000 are:
Jared Schuurmans – Discus
Conor McCullough – Hammer
Barbara Nwaba – Heptathlon
Whitney Ashley – Discus
Jeremy Taiwo – Decathlon
Stephanie Garcia – Steeplechase
Dan Huling – Steeplechase
Garrett Heath – 5K
Chanelle Price – 800M
Chaunte Lowe – High jump
Jacorian Duffield – High jump
Quanera Hayes – 400M
The 29 athletes to receive funding in the amount of $3,000 are:
Brittany Borman – Javelin
Jill Camerena Williams – Shot put
Jeneva Stevens – Shot put
Sam Crouser – Javelin
Tia Brooks – Shot put
Jordan Clarke – Shot put
Kibwe Johnson – Hammer
Bernard Lee – 200M
Darrell Hill – Shot put
Kala Funderburk – 400M
Andrew Lee Irwin – Pole Vault
Ciarra Brewer – Triple Jump
Bryshon Nellum – 400M
Christina Epps – Triple Jump
Heather Miller Koch – Heptathlon
Maria Michita – Race walk
Erik Sowinski – 800M
Lashinda Demus – 400H
Kyle Merber – 1500M
Ben Blankenship – 1500M
Jeshua Anderson – 400H
Brittany Smith – Shot put
Ashley Higginson – Steeplechase
Joanna Atkins – 400M
Rodney Brown – Discus
Riley Dolezal – Javelin
Mary Saxer – Pole Vault
Jesse Williams – High Jump
Russ Winger – Discus
Also receiving an Elite Athlete Development Grant as a part of the USATF Foundation’s Adopt an Athlete Program in the amount of $10,000 are the following athletes:
Amanda Bingson – Hammer
Amber Campbell – Hammer
Bobby Curtis – Marathon
Britney Henry – Hammer
Turquoise Thompson – 400H
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 coach kids on track & field skills and making healthy choices. The program provides an opportunity for the athletes to give back to their community.