Drake Blue Oval Showcase Presented by Mediacom To Host A Shot Put Feature Tuesday Evening 

The top two shot put athletes in the world will step into the Drake Stadium circle Tuesday evening for a competition leading up to Saturday’s Drake Blue Oval Showcase presented by Mediacom.

Ryan Crouser, the current No. 1 in the world, will be joined by the current No. 2, Nick Ponzio, and three other elite throwers for a brief competition set to begin at 6 p.m. and is sponsored by Delta Dental of Iowa

As is the case for all events associated with the Blue Oval Showcase, no fans will be allowed inside Drake Stadium for the competition.

“Ryan Crouser is throwing at such a historic level that any time he competes, the world record is in serious danger,” said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. “It’s an honor to have him and these other world-class throwers compete twice at Drake Stadium this week, and their desire to compete twice in Des Moines shows how much they value throwing in Central Iowa. We’re equally thankful to Delta Dental of Iowa for sponsoring this one-of-a-kind event and showing its continued investment in Central Iowa.”

Crouser and Ponzio will be joined by Payton Otterdahl, Josh Cinnamo and Luke Warning in the competition.

Crouser, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, returns to Des Moines as the top thrower in the world and is coming off a throw of 75-2 (22.91m), tied for the second farthest throw in American history. A Drake Relays champion in the event the last two years, Crouser is a five-time American champion and has thrown 21 meters or better in 63 competitions in his lifetime.

“Ryan has become a crowd favorite at Drake Stadium with his record-setting performances inside the Blue Oval,” Boldon added. “While we’re disappointed fans won’t be there to cheer him on this week, we know he has the potential to put on another historic performance.”

While no fans will be in attendance Tuesday, the action will be covered on Drake Relays social media platform and a recap of the event will air during Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. broadcast on Mediacom MC22 and Runnerspace+.

Ponzio will challenge Crouser as he brings in the second-best throw in the world this season at 72-3.75 (21.72m) and has won seven competitions in 2020. Payton Otterdahl, one of the best throwers in collegiate history, has also thrown further than 71 feet.  Last year, Otterdahl’s performance of 71-6.75 (21.81m) established a collegiate indoor record surpassing the previous all-time best of 71-3.50, held by Crouser and Ryan Whiting.

Josh Cinnamo, who is the current world record holder in his Paralympic class, joins the field after taking gold at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, while Luke Warning most recently took third at the 2020 USA Indoor Championships.

Those five will be joined by a full field Saturday afternoon inside for the Drake Blue Oval Showcase presented by Mediacom.