tonyhall

Anthony (Tony) Hall

Javelin Progression / Back cross used through 1973

Born March 17,1950, in Philadelphia, Pa

1967 Oakcrest HS (Jr) 140'0"

1968 (Sr) 203' 4"

1969 Norfolk St. College (Fr) 228' 3"

1970 out all year

1971 Norfolk St. 236' CIAA Record

1972 234' 9"

1973 Norfolk St. (Sr) 258' 7" NCAA II Record;

257' 4" 3rd Place NCAA I;

257' World University Games Moscow

1974 Bruce Track Club 265' 6"

1975 277' 11" Quantico Relays Record

284' 3" Tom Black Meet; 278' 6" &; 267' 8" @

1976 Olympic trails ( injured) Montreal Olympics (15th)

268' USA Vs USSR

1977 Graduate School 280' Norfolk Invite Relays Record; elbow surgery

@ Norfolk St. Univ.

1978 Surgery on same elbow no throwing

1979 Graduate School 268' 8"; 273' 11"

1980 Moved to Austin, TX. 281' 6" Texas Relays Record

Retired after the Olympic Trials with several injuries

To follow are two newspaper articles on Tony Hall, 1973 and 1980. The first article shows the beginning of his career as a javelin thrower, and the second article show the reality of how an athlete had to deal at that time in order to survive the daily live and compete representing the USA with out any sponsorship and help.

1973

By Frank Palmisano

Press Sports Writer

WEYMOUTH - Moscow

July; 1973.

A contingent United States track and field athletes assembled by the Amateur Athletic Union is competing in the prestigious World University Games as guests of the host country Russia

The Russians are winning everything in sight but on the track and field squad is a young man a 1968 graduate of Oakcrest High School. As events unfold it seems evident he will get a chance to win the first gold medal for the US

The 22 years old javelin thrower has tossed one 257 feet on his final throw. With only two more throwers to compete Tony Hall, a soft-spoken South Jersey resident is about to gain the Games highest honor. But the last two javelin throwers, both Russians, hurl tosses longer than any others throw in the competition Tony Hall captured the bronze medal the same day the 400-meter relay team gain the first gold

In a recent Interview the now 23-year old young man presented some insights into the attitudes and experience of competing in the Soviet Union. "We couldn't wait to leave" Hall said, with evident enthusiasm The food was bad we had no activities to pass the time away and just generally didn't feel at home "The common people Hall said, "were curious about us. They tried to be friendly but they just couldn't be friendly with us. They were just not allowed to talk about certain 'things."'

The group of' track and field stars stayed at the university of Moscow, twoathletes sharing very small room with a 'pair of cots, a chair and a table.

"'Before' we got over there when we were getting things together to go they told us the U. S. game officials in charge of our group, that the Russians were giving us their best.

So don't make fun of them," Hall said every thing was very plain? but we were warned' ,not to laugh or make any bad comments about it "because the best they had was 'what they were' offering .us."

Moscow is now a' thing of the past for Hall. His eyes are currently upon the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

Hall had several stepping stones after the World University Games. At Oakcrest he competed in cross-country, basketball and track. His events were the javelin, long and. high jumps. For Norfolk State where he set the National College Division record with a toss this past spring of 258 feet,

In the summer he won the AAU qualifying meet at Penn State to become the US representative at Moscow in the javelin.

Since returning Hall has joined the Bruce Track club in New York and has stepped up his training activities in the Vineland YMCA

1980.

By GARY STEPHENS

SpeciaI to the American-Statesman

Tony Hall's weekdays begin when he leaves his apartment at 5:30 a.m. dressed in a navy blue warm-up suit, Hall heads for Town Lake, a quarter-mile from his Pleasant Valley Estate apartment.

He runs three and one-half miles, not slowly but not too hurriedly, along the Colorado River In South Austin. He rarely sees other runners in the pre-dawn darkness.

Hall runs until he reaches Interstate 35, then he continues across the interstate bridge and runs along the hike, and bike trail on the north side of the river and he keeps going until he reaches his apartment around 6 a.m.

Hall runs to stay in shape and in good physical condition just as other runners do But Hall has another goal. It was a goal, which originally, would have taken him to the Moscow Summer Olympics, but that has all changed. As of now, his ambition is to be the premier javelin thrower In the United States and perhaps in the world and that for Hall means competing in the summer track and field circuit on his own.

He is a 13-year experienced javelin athlete, and that navy blue warm-up suit he wears on his morning jaunts is a 1976, US Olympic warm-up suit.

Running is only one of several drills Hall goes through for his quest to be consistently better that any of his rival javelin athletes. Hall, one of America's leading javelin throwers during the 1970s and a participant in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, is 30 years old.

The New Jersey native knows he is running out of opportunities, and in Austin he sought the perfect place to train.

"I will probably never find that perfect place to train," Hall says. He is tall and. slim at 6-3 and 205 pounds. One with a friendly and open demeanor, Hall often flashes a smile.

"I thought Austin would be ideal because of the sporting atmosphere and the climate, but it hasn't been that good for me, mainly because of my situation," says Hall, who has lived In Austin since last September.

Hall's situation defines his holding a full-time job and also training at the same time.

"It's better to be in school while you're training. Before I came here, I never thought I would be cooking my own meals and worrying about finances," he adds.

While training and taking care of himself physically, Hall also works 40 hours per week with the city of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

He Is a Recreation supervisor responsible for monitoring of the department's citywide program. Equipped for the job, Hall received a bachelor's degree in Recreation at Norfolk State College (Virginia) in 1973. However, Hall only needs an Internship to complete a master's degree In Community Clinical Psychology at Norfolk.

Hall did not just come to Austin from New Jersey because he heard of it, Phil Devalan, head coach of the UT women's track program, encourage Hall last year to come to Austin because the climate here is good for his training. The two first met in 1973 at the World University Games in Moscow.

One of the coaches for the American team, which Hall was part of, Delavan says he first saw Hall as a dedicated athlete limited In technique

"We talked about other techniques, and he saw some advantages in changing his technique. Now he coaches himself, but he comes to me occasionally to talk about his technique."

Delavan adds that Hall is capable of throwing a javelin over 300 feet, something, which has not been done by an American since 1970. (Mark Murro threw a javelin 300 feet in 1970.) "I think Tony can do very well in an Olympic type competition this year," Delavan says.

Hall's best throw was a 284-foot, 3-inch toss in 1976 at the Tom Black Classic in Knoxville, Tenn. At the 1976 Olympic Games he managed a 260-foot throw, despite an injured knee which he twisted in the qualifying competition in Eugene, Ore., a month before.

He finished 15th, well behind gold medal winner Milkos Nemeth, who threw the current world record mark of 310 feet, 3 inches at the games.

In his first meet this year, Hall won the open division of the Texas Relays April 4-5, with a 281~ record throw. His toss was six inches better than the Memorial Stadium javelin record set by Sam Colson in 1973 It also was 20 feet better than Texas' Denes Pajtas 261-11 throw which won the college division.

Hall says the throw is the best in the nation this year. "I know that's the longest-throw in the nation this year. That's a normal throw for me when I'm healthy," he said. So far, staying healthy has not been Hall's biggest concern. "I wanted to go to the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, which is in a couple of weeks, but I don't have the expense money.

I'm looking forward to going to the Penn and Drake Relays which are coming up, but my main concern is in getting a sponsor to help me with my expenses,"

But, making it to the 1976 Olympic Games did not pose Hall's current problem of supporting himself financially.

Last fall, he visited local national based soft drink companies and made the rounds at some local car dealerships in search of a sponsor and financial support for training expenses to go to the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He was unsuccessful. I even gave them a budget of how much money I would need for training, room and board, and food, but they never called me back," he says.

Now the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow are all but over for U. S. athletes, wiped out by the Soviet Union's military Involvement in Afghanistan and the subsequent boycott of the games by the U. S. team.

To Hall, it makes no difference. "I didn't want to go to Moscow anyhow," he responds.

You don't feel. comfortable over there, and the atmosphere is just -not there for competing. There's inconvenience in - eating the food there because it is not good. Also, you don't know how you're supposed to behave there," Hall says In describing the Soviet Union.

Hall retains a wait and see outlook of possible world class javelin competition in the summer as an alternative to the Olympic Games. After that Hall may stay in Austin.

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