Tom Pukstys

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Tom Pukstys
College of DuPage Celebrates Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Tom Pukstys (48009254507).jpg
Pukstys in 2019
Personal information
Full nameThomas Paul Pukstys
National teamFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1968-05-28) May 28, 1968 (age 56)
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight216 lb (98 kg)
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event Javelin throw
College team College of DuPage
University of Florida

Thomas Paul Pukstys (born May 28, 1968) is an American former track and field athlete who was a javelin thrower. Pukstys was a six-time U.S. javelin champion, and represented the United States at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

Contents

Biography

Pukstys's parents came to the U.S. from Lithuania in 1949. He was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He graduated from Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois. His older brother Andrew was attending medical school in Lithuania, and returned home with a gift for Pukstys: a javelin. Thereafter, Pukstys quit the high school baseball team and went out for the track team, throwing the javelin 155 feet in his first track meet.

For his first two years as an undergraduate, Pukstys enrolled in the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn and was a member of the DuPage Chaparrals track and field team. After his sophomore year, he accepted an athletic scholarship to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in public relations in 1992.

Pukstys broke his first American record in June 1993. His personal best was a throw of 87.12 meters in 1997.

Pusktys was an assistant track and field coach for the U.S. Olympic team that competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

After attending a Valparaiso University master's program, in 2015 Pukstys coached the Valparaiso Beacons track and field program. [1]

Seasonal bests by year

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 26th74.72 m
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 10th76.72 m
1993 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 9th77.92 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 19th76.12 m
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, Georgia, United States8th83.58 m
1997 World Championships Athens, Greece 15th78.64 m
IAAF Grand Prix Final Fukuoka, Japan 4th85.68 m
1998 Goodwill Games Uniondale, New York, United States2nd79.86 m
1999 World Championships Seville, Spain DNS
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 20th78.10 m

See also

References

  1. "FORMER OLYMPIAN: COACH TOM PUKSTYS '16 M.S. MOTIVATES NEW GENERATION OF ATHLETES". valpo.edu. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2024.