PHOTO PROVIDED
Bucknell’s Evelyn Bliss competes during an event this year. Bliss will represent Team USA at the U20 World Championships in this photo provided by Kevin Morris.
Bucknell’s Evelyn Bliss and Rayven Sample will get to represent Team USA in respective events. Bliss, one of Bucknell’s most decorated throwers, will compete at the U20 World Championships while Sample will have the opportunity to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Bliss has become one of Bucknell’s most decorated throwers in one season. The javelin ace won gold at the 2024 Patriot League Outdoor Championships, repeated as the USA U20 champion, collected five wins, finished fifth at the NCAA East Preliminaries, earned 13th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Her best toss of 183-2 ranks second in Bucknell history for the javelin behind legendary Bison thrower Maura Fiamoncini’s 185-4 mark.
Bucknell throws coach Ryan Protzman has performed extraordinary work with his young pupil. Protzman will not make the excursion to Peru, but his handwork from previous workouts and training sessions will travel with Bliss.
“We’ve kept it simple over the last couple of months. She’s continuing to work on throwing with good rhythm and transferring linear energy through the finish of her throw,” Protzman said. “She’s also emphasized her fitness, which will help her build confidence and consistency on the runway.”
“Coach Protzman told me to trust the process and focus on the little things while I am at home training,” Bliss said. “He has faith in me, making me feel all the more capable to travel to Lima and put on a good show.”
While Bliss enters her sophomore season, Sample journeys into postgraduate life where competitions are not as common but remain grueling and important. He can draw upon his collegiate career for drive, inspiration, and, most importantly, motivation.
After an inconsistent senior season, Rayven Sample reevaluated his running technique, accelerated his training, and qualified for the 100-meter and 400-meter dashes for the U.S. Paralympic Team after his sterling performances at the U.S. Paralympic Trials in humid Florida. Despite searing heat, he won gold in the 400-meter dash and earned bronze in the 100-meter dash. His T45 group will run with the T46 and T47 classes.
Track and field runners in the Paralympics are grouped by designations starting with the letter T. T45-47’s description: (Upper limb/s affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power, or impaired passive range of movement). Sample has been the sole T45 runner in many competitions, winning against T46 and T47 opponents.
Bucknell sprints coach and fellow Bison graduate Richard Alexander crafted a plan for Sample to blossom in the City of Lights.
“We are looking at the Olympic 400 as the culmination of all the hard work Rayven has put in over the past few months. As a T45, it can be perceived that Rayven is at a disadvantage compared to the T46 and T47 runners. We are putting together a training and a race plan that lessens that disadvantage as much as possible. Rayven also has a goal of breaking the world record for his class. Thus, so much of what we do is geared towards that.”
This is Sample’s second Paralympic Games. He competed in the 2021 Tokyo Games, and while he enjoyed the experience, it also occurred in the throes of COVID-19. With lockdowns and restrictions loosened, he can fully embrace the experience provided by the international competition. Of course, Tokyo still was a memorable experience for the sprinter. He finished eighth in the 400-meter dash and the Bucknell community watched the race on the scoreboard at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. A fun trivia fact: the first event displayed on the new scoreboard was Sample’s race.
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Publish date : 2024-08-23 17:37:00
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