Updated 1/4/08 Beginning his 15th season with the Missouri Track and Field program, Brett Halter has established himself as one of the most successful and respected throws coaches in the country. Halter's primary coaching responsibility has been with the throwers over the past 11 years. During this time, he has developed and demonstrated a brilliant understanding of the varied disciplines of the throwing events. He has combined those skills with a passionate approach to recruiting and effective teaching to make the Missouri program flourish. In the fall of 2004, Halter was promoted to Associate Head Coach of the Tiger track program through his significant contributions to its successful development. In 2006, Halter was named the USTFCCCA's Mideast Region Throws Coach of the Year as five from the men's squad that season advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the various throwing disciplines. In total, under Halter's tutelage, Tiger throwers have garnered 26 All-American awards, won 11 conference championships, had four U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers, and have had four gain membership on six U.S National teams. 2007 Season Shernelle Nicholls earned an All-American honor in 2007 in the women's shot put. Nicholls had a tremendous year in 2007, capturing three national records for her home country of Barbados while also earning double Bronze medals at the North American Championships (NACAC) in the discus and shot put, breaking Mizzou's shot record in the process. Nicholls went on to place in the top 12 in both the shot and disc at the Pan-America Games in Brazil. The Tiger throwers were also a force at the conference championships in 2007, claiming 25 total scoring spots among the indoor and outdoor meets. Seven of those spots were seized by the Tiger men at the Big 12 Indoor Championships as four from Mizzou placed in the weight throw. Halter witnessed 13 All-Big 12 performances during the outdoor season including dual runner-up performances by Nate Englin and Nicholls in the men's and women's shot put. The headlines continued to herald news of the Missouri throwers at the 2007 NCAA Mideast Regional, hosted by Mizzou. Krishna Lee was a big-hit, producing two top-five performances in the hammer throw and shot put to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in both events while toppling the Tiger record in the hammer. Bill Hobson automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year with the shot. Sensational Superlative Seasons During the indoor 2006 season, Halter put Missouri on the map in the weight throw event as four Tigers scored in the Big 12 Indoor Championships and redshirt freshman Chris Rohr earned All-American honors with his national top-15 finish with the implement. It was an outstanding '06 outdoor season that followed for the Tigers. Five men throwers and female shot putter Elizabeth Robe would qualify for the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Jason Morris was impressive with the hammer throw, qualifying for the USATF Championships as well as the NCAA Championships, grabbing runner-up honors at the NCAA Mideast Regional, Big 12 Championships, and the Drake Relays. Nate Englin and Bill Hobson earned top-five regional finishes with the shot and Bobby Musil and Tyler Dailey would join Morris in the NCAA Championship hammer-throw event. Nine Tiger male throwers gained 13 NCAA-regional qualifying marks during the outdoor season, the most of any team in the nation. In the 2005 indoor season, Conrad Woolsey won the Big 12 men's shot put title on his final throw, claiming Mizzou's fifth title in the event over a six-year span. Holly Scherder claimed Missouri's first conference crown in the women's hammer throw in 2004, setting what was then the new Tiger record. In 2003, Russ Bell became the first in Missouri history to garner All-American finishes in four separate events (2001 discus, 2002 weight throw, 2002 hammer throw, 2003 indoor shot put). That same season, Bell recorded a career-high 20 points at the Big 12 Championships while winning the conference's hammer-throw title and became a four-time Drake Relays Champion winning two titles apiece over his career in the shot and discus. Tiger throwers eclipsed several milestones in 2002. Christian Cantwell became the first American collegiate to throw over 70 feet in the shot put since 1992. Cantwell's mark of 70-4½ set the Big 12 record while ranking him seventh in the world for the 2002 season. Russ Bell, Cantwell, and Micah Shanks each threw over 70 feet in the weight throw, making Missouri the first school in collegiate history to have three 70 foot throwers in a single season. In 2000, then-freshman Cantwell set the Big 12 record in the shot put with a mark of 64-6¼. This was the second longest throw of all-time by an American college freshman. In addition, fellow first-year thrower, Russ Bell earned USATF Junior All-American honors in the shot put, discus and hammer. Bell also qualified for the junior team that toured Canada. Cantwell Success Cantwell in 2007 won his third U.S. crown while also claiming a big bonus check in winning the Indoor VISA Championship Series as having the best all-around American performance with a season's best throw of 71-9¼ (21.88m) at the Millrose Games. Also in 2007, Cantwell won his, record-tying, fifth Drake Relays shot-put title. In 2006, Cantwell recorded four throws over the 22-meter mark (72 feet, 2¾ inches), a feat accomplished only six times in the history of the World and for the first time since 1990. Cantwell ranks fifth all-time in the World with seven career 22-meter throws. Beyond the Rings He is an active member of the USA Track and Field Coaches' Education Program. Halter has completed Levels I and II and is pursuing Level III certification in the throws. He was coordinator of the Level II school held at MU in 1996. His innovative and creative ideas have made him a popular clinic speaker. He most recently presented on the topic, "The ABC's of the Rotational Shot Put" at the 2004 MF Clinic in Atlantic City, N.J. In 2000, he presented the topic, "Bringing Balance to the Throws" at the United States Track Coaches Association's national convention in Albuquerque and the MTCCCA conference in Columbia. Halter has also spoke to the Nebraska High School Coaches Association in 2005 and the Texas High School Coaches Association in 2006. In 2005, Halter wrote "Progressions for Coaching the Shot Put and Discus", an instructional book on the throwing events. In addition, Halter has developed an instructional video entitled "Speed and Power for the Throws" and was produced by Championship Productions in 2006. Halter competed in track and field at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He completed his bachelor's in sociology in 1993. He earned two master's degrees from the University of Missouri, the first in public administration in 1995 and the second in education in 1996. | |||||||||||||
