Complete Book of Throws

Jay Silvester was a six-time world-record holder in the discus and competed on multiple U.S. national teams. He was also a member of four Olympic teams ('64, '68, '72, and '76); he won the silver medal in Munich in 1972. He has coached five NCAA discus champions. Silvester is a recently retired professor from the department of physical education at Brigham Young University, where he coached throwing events for 20 years. He has also written two books (Modern Drills for Track & Field-The Throwing Events and Weight Training for Fitness and Strength). Since 1985, Silvester has served as USA Track and Field's discus throw chairman and was the Olympic throws coach for Team USA 2000.

Jeff Gorski was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer in the javelin at the University of North Carolina (where he set five school records) as well as a two-time U.S. national finalist. While serving as the throws coach at UNC (1982-86, 1988-91), he coached 23 All-ACC athletes, seven All-Americans, four conference record holders, and all UNC record holders in every throwing event. In 1993, Gorski founded Klub Keihas (Finnish for javelin), a throwers-only athletic club that supports and promotes the throwing events, especially the javelin. Through his coaching efforts in Klub Keihas, many of the nation's best throwers sought out Gorski and his club for his coaching ability and support. In February 1999, Gorski was selected as chairman of men's javelin development for USATF.

The University of Georgia's throwers have flourished under Don Babbitt's tutelage. While at UGA, he has coached several Southeastern Conference champions and All-Americans and one national champion. Before coaching at Georgia, Don was an assistant at California State University at Los Angeles from 1988 to 1996. He built Cal State's throwing program into the strongest at the Division II level--producing 39 All-Americans and 15 NCAA Champions. An avid writer and clinician, Don has written several articles and chapters for various publications. He was also a speaker at the 14th International Track & Field Coaches Association Congress in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics and at the 1998 U.S. Elite Throws Camp at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. As a member of UCLA's track and field team, Don placed seventh at the 1988 PAC-10 Outdoor Championships.

Kent Pagel is currently an assistant coach at Louisiana State University and is the throwers' coach. Before joining the Tigers' staff, Pagel was the throwers' coach and associate program director at Radford University. He has extensive coaching experience working with throwers at Kent State University, California State University at Long Beach, San Diego State, and San Diego Mesa College. Well respected on the international level, Pagel has served on coaching staffs at major international competitions in Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, and England.

Ramona Pagel was ranked one of the top two Americans (including a number one ranking)in the shot put for 11 straight years, and she was a four-time Olympian. She holds the American women's indoor and outdoor shot put records. Ramona also threw the discus and was ranked as high as number two in the United States in 1986 and 1988.