Riverdale, N.Y. (July 4, 2008) ? Manhattan alum Jake Freeman (Manhattan '04) has earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team with a third place finish this evening in the hammer throw at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials being held in Eugene, Oregon.
Freeman, who came into the trials ranked sixth in the U.S. in the hammer throw event, took third place with a mark of 73.59 meters. While that earned him a spot on the team, he still needs to throw a bit farther during the next few days out in Oregon to meet the Olympic throw standard, according to Manhattan Track and Field Head Coach Dan Mecca, who was with Freeman at the trials.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Jake, especially since he is coming off a broken fibula suffered at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships this past winter,” Mecca said. “This is his best finish ever for Jake at an Olympic trials and the best finish ever at the Olympic trials for a Manhattan College hammer thrower.”
Freeman had finished fourth in the preliminary round held earlier in the week at the trials with a throw of 72.08m, but bettered that throw Friday on his fourth throw in the final round to take third place and held that spot through the last throws of the competition.
“The entire Manhattan College Track and Field program, past and present, is extremely proud of Jake and wish him luck as he moves forward,” Mecca said.
