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Sam Mattis
Personal information
Full name Samuel Harrison Mattis
Nationality American
Born (1994-03-19) March 19, 1994 (age 30)
Manhattan, New York City, NY
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 245 pounds (111 kg)
Sport
Country  United States
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Discus throw
College team University of Pennsylvania
Coached by Marlon Mattis, Jake Brenza
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 68.69 meters
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
NCAA National Championships
Gold 2015 Eugene Discus
Silver 2016 Eugene Discus

Samuel Harrison Mattis OLY (born March 19, 1994) is an American Olympic track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw, and has a personal record of 68.69 meters. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th. Mattis represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw in Paris.

Early and personal life

Mattis was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Marlon and Marcie Mattis, and is Jewish as is his mother. His father was born in Jamaica and moved to New York as a child. He has one brother, Jake, who also attended the University of Pennsylvania. His father was the captain of the William & Mary track & field team in 1985, held the 35-lbs weight throw record, and ranks No. 3 in the hammer.

Mattis grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and attended East Brunswick High School, where he started competing in discus throw events as a teenager.

He attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Operations Management. Mattis is 6 feet tall. He lives in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.

Career

Mattis won the 2011 New Jersey Meet of Champions, and the 2012 New Balance Nationals, in the discus throw.

Mattis competed for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in college for four years. He won the gold medal at the 2015 NCAA National Championships. His throw of 67.45 m (221 ft 3 in) to win the 2016 Philadelphia College Classic is the American Collegiate record, and the second-best mark in history by a college student.

Mattis also earned three NCAA All-American honors, and was named the USATFCCA/NCAA National Scholar of the year. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association selected him as the 2015 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for Division I. He is a four-time Heps Outdoor Champion in the discus throw, and received First-Team All-Ivy honors for each of his four outdoor seasons.

Mattis won the gold medal at the 2019 Outdoor USA Track and Field Championships, with a throw of 218-9. At the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, he placed 11th. In June 2021, Mattis became an Olympian after finishing top three at the 2020 United States Track and Field Olympic Trials. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th.

Mattis won the gold medal in the discus throw with a throw of 65.93 m (216 ft 3 in) at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon in July 2023. He won the silver medal with a throw of 64.69m at the 2023 Doha Diamond League in Doha, Qatar. He won the silver medal in the discus throw with a throw of 66.07 m (216 ft 9 in) at the 2024 United States Olympic trials.

2024 Paris Olympics

Mattis represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw at Stade de France in Paris.

Honors

Mattis was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Major competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the  United States
2016 2016 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 2nd Discus throw 60.96 m (199 ft 11.87500000 in)
2016 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton University 1st Discus throw 62.45 m (204 ft 10.53641733 in)
2015 2015 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 1st Discus throw 62.48 m (204 ft 11.71751969 in)
2015 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Franklin Field - Penn 1st Discus throw 61.75 m (202 ft 6.97736221 in)
2014 2014 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 5th Discus throw 60.33 m (197 ft 11.07185040 in)
2014 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Reese Stadium - Yale 1st Discus throw 58.72 m (192 ft 7.68602363 in)
2013 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton 1st Discus throw 58.34 m (191 ft 4.72539370 in)

Personal bests

Event Best (m) Venue Date
Discus throw (outdoor) 68.69 Tucson, Arizona May 21, 2022
Shot put (outdoor) 17.29 Princeton, New Jersey May 8, 2016
Shot put (indoor) 17.06 Ithaca, New York February 28, 2016
  • Information taken from World Athletics and Direct Athletics profiles.

See also

  • List of select Jewish track and field athletes
  • List of United States records in track and field
  • List of United States collegiate records in track and field
  • List of USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners (men)
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