Valarie Allman – 2021

Valarie Allman, an All-American world champion discus and hammer thrower, was also known as an accomplished dancer in her youth. She attended Silver Creek High School and joined the track and field team as a sprinter and jumper.  Allman was enticed to throw the discus when a teammate told her that throwers were given an annual spaghetti dinner. With immediate success, Allman was named the 2012 Gatorade Colorado Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Allman finished her high school career as a two-time state 4A champion, setting 29 meet records and 11 stadium records.  In 2013 she was the national high school leader in the discus with a best of 184-2, at the Texas Relays.

Allman attended Stanford University and upon her arrival, immediately began breaking records being named the 2014 Pac-12 women’s track and field Newcomer/Freshman of the Year. Allman holds the 2014 U.S. junior national discus title with a personal best and Stanford freshman record 188-6. She threw the hammer for the first time, throwing 155-11 for fifth place. Allman’s sophomore year began by winning the discus at the Outdoor Opener in Berkeley, throwing 183-4. She held the Pac-12 discus title with a throw of 187-3, setting a personal best in the hammer, with a throw of 172-10.  At Allman’s first indoor meet, she set a school record in the 20-pound weight throw of 62-8 1/2 at the MPSF Championships, placing fifth. In her senior year, she was the U.S. discus champion throwing the furthest of any American (208-6, 63.55m). She was also No. 2 on Stanford’s all-time list in the hammer, was on the U.S. national team for Athletics World Cup, and was fourth in the Pac-12 in the hammer at 208-10 (63.65m). Allman finished her collegiate career as a six-time All-American. At the 2020 Olympics, Allman won a gold medal when she threw 68.98 meters in the discus.  Allman also participated in the World Championships in 2017 and 2019.  In 2019 she placed seventh, throwing 202 feet, 10 inches in discus.

In an interview about being a thrower, Allman said, “There is a poetic movement to it that really helped when I first started, and it’s become such a passion in every sense. It’s a combination of grace, strength, balance, having an awareness of your body and being able to move it with force.” (Longmont leader.com, 8/3/21)