University of Tennessee Athletics
Track & Field Newcomer Spotlight: Tennessee Throws
September 10, 2024 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As the program continues to build under head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross, the Tennessee coaching staff takes pride in developing young talent to exceed at the highest levels of the sport. Specializing in the throws, assistant coach Erik Whitsitt exemplified that during the 2024 campaign when he guided a pair of true freshmen to All-America honors in both the discus and javelin.
This fall, Whitsitt welcomed six rookies to Knoxville as he continues to build out his throws program on Rocky Top. The group combined for nine All-America honors, three Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards and two high school national championships over the course of their respective prep careers.
"I'm excited to welcome this class of throwers into our fold and build on our Class of 2023 which produced two freshman All-Americans," Whitsitt said. "We're on a mission here to contend for SEC and NCAA Championships, and building a strong throws group will be pivotal to our success moving forward. This class brings in several All-Americans, state and national champions, and two Gatorade Athletes of the Year. The future is very bright here at Tennessee."
A complete breakdown of the 2024 signing class of throwers can be viewed below, including high school information, personal records and accolades from each of their previous institutions.
Jakob Alperin
Memphis, Tenn.
Christian Brothers HS
Personal Records:
Donna Douglas
Jonesboro, Ark.
Nettleton HS
Personal Records:
Joel Gates
Fishers, Ind.
Fishers HS
Personal Records:
Aidan Ifkovits
New Paltz, N.Y.
New Paltz HS
Personal Records:
Nick Reynolds
Concord, N.H.
Concord HS
Personal Records:
Caley Sosnowski
Oxford, Fla.
The Villages HS / Tusculum (Tenn.) University
Personal Records:
This fall, Whitsitt welcomed six rookies to Knoxville as he continues to build out his throws program on Rocky Top. The group combined for nine All-America honors, three Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards and two high school national championships over the course of their respective prep careers.
"I'm excited to welcome this class of throwers into our fold and build on our Class of 2023 which produced two freshman All-Americans," Whitsitt said. "We're on a mission here to contend for SEC and NCAA Championships, and building a strong throws group will be pivotal to our success moving forward. This class brings in several All-Americans, state and national champions, and two Gatorade Athletes of the Year. The future is very bright here at Tennessee."
A complete breakdown of the 2024 signing class of throwers can be viewed below, including high school information, personal records and accolades from each of their previous institutions.
Jakob Alperin
Memphis, Tenn.
Christian Brothers HS
Personal Records:
- Shot Put (12 lb.) – 65-3 (19.89m)
- Capped his high school career for Christian Brothers with a runner-up finish at the TSSAA State meet in the shot put
- Heaved a school record and personal-best 65' 3" (19.89m) to win the shot put at the TSSAA West Regional meet
- His PR ranked second in the state of Tennessee and 19th nationally during the 2024 outdoor season
- Finished ninth in the shot put at the 2024 New Balance Indoor National Championships with an indoor personal best mark of 58-5.5 (17.82m)
Donna Douglas
Jonesboro, Ark.
Nettleton HS
Personal Records:
- Shot Put – 49-0.25 (14.94m)
- Discus – 175-0 (53.34m)
- Earned track & field Gatorade Player of the Year honors for the state of Arkansas in back-to-back years to close out a phenomenal high school career
- Owns the Arkansas state record for the shot put (49-0.25 / 14.94m) and discus (175-0 / 53.34m)
- Won the 2023 USATF National Junior Olympic Championship shot put title with a mark of 48-0.75 (14.65m)
- Five-time Arkansas state champion (three shot put, two discus) in the 5A classification, including sweeps of her two specialized events as a junior and senior
- Completed a double win at the Arkansas Meet of Champions in back-to-back seasons (2023-24) in the shot put and discus
- Heaved a lifetime-best discus throw of 175-0 (53.34m) at the Blazer Nestle Invitational in April 2024, which broke the Arkansas state record and ranked third nationally for the entire outdoor season
Joel Gates
Fishers, Ind.
Fishers HS
Personal Records:
- Discus (1.6 kg) – 186-4 (56.79m)
- Shot Put (12 lb.) – 62-0 (18.90m)
- Ended his high school career victorious at the 2024 Midwest Meet of Champions in June 2024, heaving the discus a lifetime-best 186-4 (56.79) to place first overall
- Runner-up at the 2024 IHSAA State Championships in the discus, launching a mark of 180-3 (54.95m)
- Helped Fishers High School win the IHSAA state title during his senior year
- His personal bests in the discus and shot put both ranked top-10 in the state of Indiana during the 2024 outdoor campaign
Aidan Ifkovits
New Paltz, N.Y.
New Paltz HS
Personal Records:
- Hammer (12 lb.) – 221-1 (67.39m)
- Weight Throw (25 lb.) – 72-8.75 (22.17m)
- Four-time high school All-American standout for New Paltz High School in New York
- Capped his decorated high school career with a runner-up finish in the hammer at New Balance Outdoor Nationals, heaving a lifetime-best 221-1 (67.39m)
- Placed fifth at the 2024 USATF U-20 Championships in the hammer throw with a mark of 210-6.5 (64.17m)
- Won a national title in the weight throw at the 2024 New Balance Indoor National meet, earning a PR of 72-8.75 (22.17m)
- His hammer and weight PRs during the 2024 campaign ranked first in the state of New York and top-10 nationally
- Earned a 2024 NYSPHSAA State Champs title in the weight throw (69-7.25 / 21.21m)
- Took first in the high school division of the weight throw at the 2024 Millrose Games in New York City with a toss of 70-1.25 (21.37m)
Nick Reynolds
Concord, N.H.
Concord HS
Personal Records:
- Javelin – 205-10 (62.74m)
- Broke the New Hampshire state record in his first year throwing javelin – logging a toss of 205-10 (62-74m) at the 2024 state meet
- Earned track & field Gatorade Athlete of the Year honors for the state of New Hampshire after his senior season
- Ended his high school career with a fifth-place finish in the javelin at the USATF U20 Championships, posting a mark of 200-2 (61.01m)
- Competed at the 2024 New England Interscholastic Championships and won the javelin title with a distance of 193-5 (58.95m)
Caley Sosnowski
Oxford, Fla.
The Villages HS / Tusculum (Tenn.) University
Personal Records:
- Javelin – 169-3 (51.60m)
- Thrived as a dual-sport athlete during her freshman season at Tusculum, competing on the track & field and volleyball teams
- Earned a national runner-up finish in the javelin at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships with her lifetime-best mark of 169-3 (51.60m)
- Won a South Atlantic Conference title as a freshman in the javelin with her meet record throw of 160-11 (49.05m)
- Tabbed the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Division II Women's Field Athlete of the Year for her efforts during the 2024 outdoor campaign
- Recognized as a member of the SAC All-Freshman Volleyball Team as she helped Tusculum win a conference championship her rookie season
- Tusculum named her Female Athlete of the Year and Female Freshman Athlete of the Year for the entire athletic department during the 2023-24 athletic season
- Attended The Villages High School in Florida where she finished her high school career with an FHSAA state title in the javelin with a Class 2A state record mark of 141-2 (43.04m)
- Competed in weightlifting for four years of high school and earned NHSSCA All-America honors along with a pair of state runner-up finishes as a senior in 2023
- Four-time team captain and three-time Team MVP for her high school volleyball squad
Players Mentioned
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