CAIRNS, Australia - Junior thrower Alex Rose, representing Samoa, won the gold medal in the hammer throw at the Oceania Area Championships on Friday, his second of the competition.
Rose, who does not compete in the hammer throw at Central Michigan, claimed the top spot with a mark of 167-07.75 on his sixth and final throw.
"Considering the length of Alex's season, it is great to see him representing Central Michigan track and field on an international level," director of track and field and cross country Willie Randolph said.
He won by five feet over runner-up Damain Smuts of New Zealand.
The hammer throw gold medal comes on the heels of Rose's discus gold medal on Wednesday.
Rose Wins the Gold in the Discus at the Oceania Area Championships
CAIRNS, Australia - Junior thrower Alex Rose, representing Samoa, won the gold medal in the discus at the Oceania Area Championships on Wednesday.
The Ogemaw Heights junior, whose father hails from Samoa, recorded a mark of 184-08.25 in his sixth and final throw to finish nearly 20 feet ahead of the runner-up Marshall Hall of New Zealand. Hall threw for 165-05.5.
Rose's mark was his second-best all season, behind his 184-10 effort at the Len Paddock Invitational on May 5.
The Oceania Area Championships served as an opportunity for the Samoan national team to observe and decide between throwers Rose and Emanuele Fuamatu, a shot putter, for inclusion on the Samoan delegation to the Olympics.
Fuamatu was ultimately selected for the team over Rose, but Rose has set the goal of continuing to train and compete at an international level in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics.
Rose will compete in the hammer throw on Friday at 11 a.m. local time and 9 p.m. Thursday EST.
Results will follow at the completion of the competition.
