Washington expected to name TJ Crater as its throws coach...

Sources within the Seattle throwing community have told paulmerca.blogspot.com that the University of Washington is expected to name TJ Crater, currently the throws coach at Penn State University as its new throws coach, replacing Reedus Thurmond.

In fact, former Husky hammer thrower Martin Bingisser, who runs the throwing web site mbingisser.com, tweeted late Wednesday night, "I'm keep waiting for the official announcement, but I'm excited to see TJ take over the throws program at UW."

The UW could not comment officially on this when asked, other than to state that an announcement would be forthcoming.

Crater has ties to the state of Washington, as his first coaching job after graduating from the University of Idaho was at Central Washington, where he was named the 2007 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)-Division II West Region Men's Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year and the 2007 USTFCCCA-Division II National Men's Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year.

At CWU, Crater coached 30 national qualifying performances from 10 national qualifiers. He also coached nine All-Americans at the Division II level and 12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) individual champions. Crater's throwers recorded 104 of Central Washington University's 238 points to help lead the men's track and field team to a 2007 GNAC Title.

One of Crater's top athletes at Central Washington was Cameron Neel, who finished his career as a five-time NCAA All-American, eight-time GNAC Champion, and was named the NCAA West Region Athlete of the Year in 2007. Crater also made quite an impact on the GNAC conference as Crater-coached athletes hold eight conference records.

After coaching at Central, he moved on to the University of Nevada, before taking the position at Penn State at the start of the 2008-09 academic year.

Crater also currently coaches former Arizona State standout Ryan Whiting, who finished seventh in the shot put at the IAAF world track & field championships in Daegu this summer.

Crater has also worked summers at the Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp in Spokane, one of the country's top camps for high school athletes.

People in the throwing community in this state have spoken highly of Crater, and feel that that he will make an impact, particularly in recruiting in-state talent.

Since the retirement of Husky legend Ken Shannon in 2000 after 31 years mentoring throwers, the Washington program has gone through two coaches in the shot, discus, hammer, javelin and weight throw in Bud Rasmussen and Thurmond.

Crater's bio from Penn State is available here.