World champion Tom Walsh won a battle of heavyweights in the shot put Saturday night at the Tucson Elite Classic at Drachman Stadium.
New Zealand’s Walsh threw 71-3½ to defeat four other highly ranked professional athletes — Darrell Hill, Jonathan Jones, Ryan Whiting and Curtis Jensen.
Arizona freshman Jordan Geist, the only collegian in the event, threw 66-4½ to finish sixth in the 11-man field.
T.J. Crater, the UA coach for the throwers, said the energy of the participating athletes and the depth of talent was impressive.
Diego Del Real, an Olympian from Mexico, won the hammer throw with a toss of 248-2. Alexander Young, ranked No. 1 in the U.S. last year, finished second. UA junior Grayson Fleming improved his personal record in the event by more than two feet to 213-8.
Rachel Dincoff won the women’s discus at 200-8, and David Blair won the men’s discus in the paralympic category at 206-6. The UA’s Turner Washington fouled three times in the men’s discus and did not qualify for the final round.
