Samuel Harrison Mattis (born March 19, 1994) is an American Olympic track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw, and has a personal record of 68.69 meters.[1] At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th. Mattis is representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw in Paris on August 5 and 7, 2024.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Harrison Mattis | |||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 19, 1994 Manhattan, New York City, NY | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||
| Event | Discus throw | |||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Marlon Mattis, Jake Brenza | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 68.69 meters | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early and personal life
editMattis was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Marlon and Marcie Mattis, and is Jewish as is his mother.[2][3] His father was born in Jamaica and moved to New York as a child.[2] He has one brother, Jake, who also attended the University of Pennsylvania. His father was the captain of the William & Mary track & field team in 1985, held the 35-lbs weight throw record, and ranks No. 3 in the hammer.[4]
Mattis grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and attended East Brunswick High School, where he started competing in discus throw events as a teenager.[2][3][4]
He attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Operations Management[3]. Mattis is 6 feet tall.[2] He lives in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.[3]
Career
editMattis won the 2011 New Jersey Meet of Champions, and the 2012 New Balance Nationals, in the discus throw.[3]
Mattis competed for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in college for four years. He won the gold medal at the 2015 NCAA National Championships.[5] His throw of 67.45 m (221 ft 3 in) to win the 2016 Philadelphia College Classic is the American Collegiate record, and the second-best mark in history by a college student.
Mattis also earned three NCAA All-American honors, and was named the USATFCCA/NCAA National Scholar of the year. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association selected him as the 2015 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for Division I.[6] He is a four-time Heps Outdoor Champion in the discus throw, and received First-Team All-Ivy honors for each of his four outdoor seasons.
Mattis won the gold medal at the 2019 Outdoor USA Track and Field Championships, with a throw of 218-9.[3] At the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, he placed 11th.[3] In June 2021, Mattis became an Olympian after finishing top three at the 2020 United States Track and Field Olympic Trials. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th.[3]
Mattis won the gold medal in the discus throw with a throw of 65.93 m (216 ft 3 in) at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon in July 2023. He won the silver medal with a throw of 64.69m at the 2023 Doha Diamond League in Doha, Qatar. He won the silver medal in the discus throw with a throw of 66.07 m (216 ft 9 in) at the 2024 United States Olympic trials.
2024 Paris Olympics
editMattis is representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw at Stade de France in Paris on August 5 and 7, 2024.
Honors
editMattis was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[3][2]
Major competition record
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the | |||||
| 2016 | 2016 NCAA National Championships | Hayward Field - Oregon | 2nd | Discus throw | 60.96 m (200 ft 0 in) |
| 2016 | Ivy League Outdoor Championships | Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton University | 1st | Discus throw | 62.45 m (204 ft 10+1⁄2 in) |
| 2015 | 2015 NCAA National Championships | Hayward Field - Oregon | 1st | Discus throw | 62.48 m (204 ft 11+3⁄4 in) |
| 2015 | Ivy League Outdoor Championships | Franklin Field - Penn | 1st | Discus throw | 61.75 m (202 ft 7 in) |
| 2014 | 2014 NCAA National Championships | Hayward Field - Oregon | 5th | Discus throw | 60.33 m (197 ft 11 in) |
| 2014 | Ivy League Outdoor Championships | Reese Stadium - Yale | 1st | Discus throw | 58.72 m (192 ft 7+3⁄4 in) |
| 2013 | Ivy League Outdoor Championships | Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton | 1st | Discus throw | 58.34 m (191 ft 4+3⁄4 in) |
Personal bests
edit| Event | Best (m) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discus throw (outdoor) | 68.69 | Tucson, Arizona | May 21, 2022 |
| Shot put (outdoor) | 17.29 | Princeton, New Jersey | May 8, 2016 |
| Shot put (indoor) | 17.06 | Ithaca, New York | February 28, 2016 |
- Information taken from World Athletics and Direct Athletics profiles.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Personal Best nj.com. Accessed 2016-03-19
- ^ a b c d e Emily Burack (July 28, 2021). "18 Things to Know About Track Athlete Sam Mattis; The Jewish discus thrower is set to compete at his first Olympics in Tokyo," Hey Alma.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Samuel Mattis," Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
- ^ a b Sam Mattis Archived 2016-04-01 at the Wayback Machine. Penn Quakers. Accessed 2016-03-19.
- ^ 2015 NCAA Nationals Archived 2016-04-01 at the Wayback Machine Penn Athletics. Accessed 2016-03-19
- ^ DI Men's Track & Field Scholar Athletes of the Year USTFCCCA. Accessed 2016-03-19
External links
edit- Sam Mattis at World Athletics
- Direct Athletics profile for Sam Mattis