MINNEAPOLIS — For the third time in the last four years the University of Minnesota men’s track and field program has won the Big Ten’s Field Athlete of the Year honor. Minnesota hammer thrower Angelos Mantzouranis has won the honor for the first time in his career after winning the NCAA hammer throw title last weekend in Eugene, Ore., at Hayward Field.
A junior, Mantzouranis joins Kostas Zaltos (2023, 2025) as winners of the award in the last four years. Overall the Maroon and Gold men have won seven Field Athlete of the Year awards at the Big Ten level, six of those being outdoor honors.
Mantzouranis’ NCAA title-winning throw of 75.78m (248-7) came on his fifth attempt. Mantzouranis helped the Gophers earn their second men’s hammer throw title in a row – becoming the first program since 2012-13 (Virginia Tech) to go back-to-back in the hammer. The competition was a back-and-forth affair with Mantzouranis having to retake the top position three times. After an opening round foul Mantzouranis progressed through his series with four straight improvements that ended with his 75.78m (248-7) winning mark.
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