Senior Texas Tanner set a new Air Force record in the shot put with a throw of 20.25 meters (66’5¼”) on his final attempt, earning a fifth-place finish and First-Team All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 14.
Tanner’s performance marked the first time a service academy athlete has surpassed the 20-meter mark in the shot put. He improved his own Air Force and All-Academy records and achieved the third-best distance in Mountain West history.
Tanner began the competition with an opening throw of 17.96 meters, followed by an improvement to 18.83 meters on his second attempt. His third-round mark of 19.21 meters moved him from thirteenth to eighth place, securing a spot in the finals. After throws of 18.89 and 19.59 meters kept him in eighth position, Tanner delivered his record-setting throw to move into the top five.
With this result, Tanner matched the second-highest indoor finish by a Mountain West shot putter over the past decade and recorded the best NCAA Indoor finish by an Air Force men’s team member during that period. This marks Tanner’s fourth All-American honor; he previously placed fourth in hammer throw at last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships and earned second-team indoor status for both last year’s shot put and yesterday’s weight throw. With this latest award, he joins Nick Frawley, Sam Gilman, Michael Rhoads, Jaci Smith, Shelley Spires, and Jamiel Trimble as one of Air Force’s most decorated All-Americans.
Following the conclusion of the indoor season, Air Force will begin its outdoor campaign next week at the Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Invitational in Pueblo on March 20-21.
