BREAKING NEWS :

Crab boat captain turned children’s book author
Will Conwell, a Kentwood High School graduate, will compete in the discus at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next week in Eugene, Ore. - COURTESY PHOTO
COURTESY PHOTO
Will Conwell, a Kentwood High School graduate, will compete in the discus at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next week in Eugene, Ore.

Kentwood grad Will Conwell aims for Olympic berth in discus

By STEVE HUNTER
Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter
June 21, 2012 · 12:57 PM

Will Conwell, a 2001 Kentwood High School graduate, will compete in the discus at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next week at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Conwell is one of 24 competitors who will throw in the qualifying round on Monday, June 25. The top 12 will advance to the finals Thursday, June 28 to contend for the three Olympic berths.

Conwell, 29, has the fifth-best throw in 2012 among U.S. athletes with a mark of 207 feet, 11 inches. He placed sixth with a throw of 202-7 at the 2008 Olympic Trials, just 3 feet shy of third place and an Olympic roster spot.

At Kentwood, Conwell won the state high school shot put title in 2000 and was a standout football player. He played two years of football at the University of Washington before deciding to focus on throwing for the Huskies. He was a three-time Pacific-10 Conference medalist and competed in the 2006 NCAA nationals.

Conwell has trained for the past two years at Auburn University in Alabama in preparation to make the Summer Olympics in London. The discus competition is Aug. 6-7.

He is married to Kate Soma, a former UW track athlete who was the 2005 NCAA champion in the pole vault.

 

Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.