WALNUT, CALIFORNIA – The 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships came to a close Sunday morning with a third and final day of competition. Headlined by 2023 world champions Noelle Malkamaki (Decatur, Illinois) and David Blair (Eagle Mountain, Utah), the morning session heavily featured shot put and discus competition.

Athletes are competing for roster spots on the 2024 world championships team, which will represent the United States at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships this May in Kobe, Japan. The top 30 U.S. athletes from this weekend’s national championships will earn the right to compete in Kobe.

Malkamaki and Blair came out strong in the women’s shot put F46 and men’s discus F44 competitions, respectively, each taking home national titles months after winning world championships gold in Paris last summer.

After setting three world records en route to her first world championship title in Paris, Malkamaki came within 11 centimeters of her world record mark in today’s competition at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. Sac). Her mark of 13.21 meters put her comfortably ahead of the rest of the women’s F46 field.

“We’re getting stronger and working on some technical changes,” Malkamaki said. “It’s a super long season, the longest that I’ve ever had, and I think the mental preparation that goes into that is understanding that not every meet can be the most important meet you’ve ever had. You’re looking forward to performing at your peak in the bigger meets later on.”

Blair, meanwhile, put together a best mark of 55.80 meters to take home the men’s discus F44 title. The 2016 Paralympic champion is looking to make his fifth career world championships team and third Paralympic team later this year.

Following the death of his coach in August, Blair has been juggling the mental and physical challenges of switching to a new coach.

“It’s been a shift,” he said. “I have a new coach. I have a lot of confidence in our pairing. We’ve been working on some big changes, and I think that was reflected today in what we’re seeing. Things have been going well, and today they just went okay. I’ve got a lot of room to grow.”

Bursting onto the national scene in her second career national championships was high schooler Arelle Middleton (Rancho Cucamonga, California), who won the women’s shot put F44 event with a massive 11.02-meter throw.

Middleton, who was named the 2023 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Field Athlete of the Year, surprised even herself, she said. The mark would have won her a medal at the 2023 world championships.

“I did a lot better than I expected, and it was great to throw so well,” she said. “At first, I was a little nervous, but overall I think I got comfortable and was able to go into my normal routine.”

World championships bronze medalist Samantha Heyison (Adamstown, Maryland) was close behind Middleton with a best mark of 10.38.

Max Rohn (Fallbrook, California), who made his Parapan American Games debut in Chile in November, was the top performer in the men’s discus F64 competition, while Santiago teammate Christy Gardner (Lewiston, Maine), won the women’s shot put F56. Rohn and Gardner both won silver medals at Parapan Ams.

On the track, Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah) added another national title to his weekend, winning the men’s 400-meter T62 race after setting an Americas Record in the 100-meter event Friday. Paralympian Marshall Zackery (Ocala, Florida) was crowned the men’s 100-meter T35 national champion, and Caleb Howard (Lakeview, Oregon) and David Brown (St. Louis, Missouri) took home a pair of 400-meter titles in the T13 and T11 categories, respectively.

The 2024 world championships team is expected to be announced Monday.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – March 17, 2024

Women’s Shot Put F56

1. Christy Gardner

Women’s Shot Put F57

1. Autumn Fought

Men’s Discus F37

1. Jesse Zesseu (CAN)

2. Shahrad Nasajpour

3. Kaidyn Stockdale

Men’s Discus F44

1. David Blair

Men’s Discus F64

1. Max Rohn

2. Derik Smith

Men’s 400m T11

1. David Brown

Men’s 400m T12

1. David Johnson

Men’s 400m T13

1. Caleb Howard

2. Joshua Fields

Men’s 400m T62

1. Hunter Woodhall

2. Blake Leeper

3. Lucas Jundt

Women’s Shot Put F44

1. Arelle Middleton

2. Samantha Heyison

Women’s Shot Put F46

1. Noelle Malkamaki

2. Jasmyn McCulloch (CAN)

3. Danielle Kanas

Women’s Shot Put F64

1. Alicia Guerrero

Men’s 100m T35

1. Marshall Zackery

2. Matthew Paintin

3. Austin Spalla

Men’s 100m T36

1. Samuel Winter

2024 National Championships Wrap with Big Day in the Ring

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