World Indoor Silver Medalist Steen Defeats World-Class Field In Knockout Style Competition 

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Lily Dozier photos

INTERVIEWS

DES MOINES, Iowa – Combine the strongest guys in the world, a process of elimination, pure strategy and an abundance of adrenaline, and you have the World Shot Put Series.

On a night where shot put took a new step in revolutionizing itself in a knockout style competition, some of the world’s best shot putters delivered an entertaining night of true competition at the Drake Fieldhouse on Wednesday to begin the 115th Drake Relays.

And the man who put it all together, three-time Olympic Champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser, didn’t even win.

Roger Steen, this year’s silver medalist at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, was the last man standing.

Steen, the oldest competitor at 32 years old, surpassed 73 feet to take home the WWE-style title belt, a distance he’s never hit before in real competition. His personal best is 22.08 meters (72-5.25).

“Everybody’s getting better, pushing each other,” Steen said. “I’m just having a great, fun time.”

Tripp Piperi, bronze medalist at World Indoors and roommates with Steen, took second, also throwing past his personal best of 21.74m (71-4) not just once, but twice.

Nine professionals, along with six collegians, entered the shot put ring and were given two chances to hit a certain mark. Starting at 40 feet, the marks went up into increments of 10 feet. After 60 feet, it narrowed down to 65 feet, then 68, 70, 71, 72, 73 and lastly 74.

Of the 15 competitors, Steen and Piperi were the only ones to make it past 72 feet.

Between them both, they combined to have 24 throws; Steen with 11, Piperi with 13.

“I surprised myself with how much I can push myself beyond just six throws,” Piperi said.

Steen was perfect through five rounds leading up to the 72 foot line. On his first two throws at 72 feet, he failed to reach the next line. Then, he pulled out the "challenge flag."

Each participant was given one challenge flag they could use at any point in the competition, just once. A lifeline to stay in the competition. 

Steen was successful on his challenge, giving him an edge over Piperi, who also missed his first two throws. In the clutch moments, Piperi delivered a successful challenge, too.

Both advanced to 73 feet, a realm beyond where they've successfully thrown in competition. Steen hit it on his first throw. 

"As soon as you catch a wave, you kind of have to run with it," Steen said. "I knew I was in very good shape. I had great training the last couple of weeks. Soon as the crowd got in and everything, it kind of just took off."

Piperi failed on his first attempt, which meant a second miss would result in elimination. Piperi manage to deliver a second consecutive clutch throw to send him and Steen to 74 feet, where both would miss there next two throws, resulting in Steen claiming victory on fewer missed attempts.

“This was incredible,” Piperi said. “Shout out to Ryan (Crouser) for getting this set up and everybody that was a part of it. This was genuinely one of the most amazing experiences we’ve had. By the end of the first round, every single person that was competing was like, ‘Oh my god, this is awesome,’.”

Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, finished in third and American Payton Otterdahl finished fourth. Both were eliminated at 72 feet.

Crouser, who's had the most throws over 22 meters (72-2.25) in world history, finished fifth after being knocked out at 71 feet.

Multis Finish Day One

Inside the Blue Oval, the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon completed first day events.

Defending Drake Relays champion Nebraska’s Till Steinforth scored 4,478 points through five events to lead all decathletes.

Steinforth, who earned bronze for Germany in the heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, won four of five events, running 10.65 seconds in the 100 meter for 940 points and 47.96 in the 400 for 911 points, jumping 7.90 meters (25-11) in long jump for 1035 points and throwing 15.28m (50-1.75) in the shot put for 807 points.

Last year, Steinforth became the third decathlete in meet history to surpass 8,000 points. On Thursday he aims to keep pace with Kip Janvrin’s 1996 meet record of 8,198 points.

Northern Iowa’s Carter Morton sits in second with 4,143 points. Morton handed Steinforth his only defeat, winning the high jump at 1.98m (6-6) to earn 896 points.

Iowa’s Abraham Vogelsang is in third with 4,092 points, Northern Iowa’s Zach Butcher is fourth with 4043 points and Kansas State’s Emil Uhlin is fifth with 3,918 points.

American Jordan Gray, representing MultiStars Inc. leads all heptathlon competitors through four events, scoring 3,511 points to hold a 284-point lead. Gray won the 100 hurdles in 13.81 to score 1,005 points and the shot put, throwing 14.08m (46-2.5) to score 799 points.

University of Sioux Falls' Emily Swanson is the top collegiate athletes in second with 3,227 points.

Third through fifth are separated by 18 points, with Minnesota State’s Viktoriia Ermolaeva in third with 3,205 points, Northern Iowa’s Joey Perry in fourth with 3,194 points and Minnesota State’s Miranda Lauvstad in fifth with 3,187 points.