Coleman Wins USATF U20 Men’s Discus Title

Before he dons a red, white and blue Liberty uniform in collegiate competition for the first time, Flames freshman Desmond Coleman will have the opportunity to wear a red, white and blue Team USA kit. He won the USATF U20 men’s discus title Saturday evening at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., earning the right to represent Team USA at the World Athletics U20 Championships later this summer in Cali, Colombia.

Two days after celebrating his 19^th birthday, Coleman unleashed a throw of 197-2 in round three. That mark held off the duo of Sam Houston State’s Kevin Grubbs (196-11) and Wichita State’s Ridge Estes (196-10), who placed second and third, respectively.

Coleman and future Conference USA foe Grubbs will comprise Team USA’s men’s discus squad at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia. The men’s discus prelims are slated for August 5 with the final to follow on August 6. Coleman’s 197-2 effort from Saturday moves him up to No. 13 on the 2022 World U20 men’s discus performance list.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Coleman was redshirted during his first indoor and outdoor track & field season at Liberty in 2022. Competing unattached, his top effort with the collegiate discus was 177-5, which earned Coleman a fourth-place finish at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 4.

The discus ring at Hayward Field has been good to Liberty this month. Competing at the same venue two weeks earlier, the Flames’ Kevin Nedrick placed 11^th in the men’s discus at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to become a second team All-American.