Coaches and Staff
John Godina – 4 Time World Champion, 9 Olympic and World Championship Medals
Owner, Head Coach – Shot Put Specialist, Discus Specialist, Strength Specialist
John Godina is four-time World Champion in the Shot Put as well as having a Discus Throw Personal Best of 69.91 meters (229’2″). After retiring from competition in February of 2009, he expanded his already established training facility into what is today the World Throws Center. He has worked with dozens of athletes over his 15 years as a professional in the sport to help them improve their strength and skill levels. Nine out of ten athletes John has worked with have had personal bests while under his tutelage.
John’s vision of a training home for throwers has been realized in the World Throws Center. His relentless drive to improve the environment for an historically under-appreciated group of athletes has resulted in what is quite possibly the only privately owned Olympic training center on earth. As was his original goal, the World Throws Center is a self-sustaining entity designed to stand the test of time – immune to the political winds of change that other training locations and environments are susceptible to.
Suzy Powell – Three-Time Olympian, American Record Holder
Assistant Coach – Discus Specialist, Strength Specialist
Chief Of Marketing and Event Management
ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 2008, Olympic Team member, Track and Field, Beijing, China
• 2007, ranked number 1 in the United States
• American Record Holder, discus 222 feet
• 2007, U.S. National Discus Champion
• 2007, ranked number 8 in the world, International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)
• 2006, ranked number 2 in the United States by Track and Field News, discus
• 2006, ranked number 13 in the world, discus
• 2003, top 10 world ranking, discus
• 2003, World Championships Finalist, Paris, France
• 2002, ESPY nomination for Best Female Track & Field Athlete
• 2002, American record holder, discus
• 2001-2002, ranked in top 10 in the world, discus
• 2000, U.S. Olympic Team member, Track and Field, Sydney, Australia
• 1996, U.S. Olympic Team member, Track and Field, Atlanta, GA
• 1996, Olympic Trials Champion, discus, Atlanta, GA
• 1997, 2001 & 2003, World Championship Teams
• Five- time All-American for UCLA, discus/javelin
Dave Dumble – 3 Time NCAA Coach of the Year
Assistant Coach – Hammer Specialist, Javelin Specialist, Shot Put Specialist, Discus Specialist, Strength Specialist
Dave Dumble is one of the best throws coaches in the country (as evidenced by his status as Three-Time National Coach of the Year) and quite possibly the world. He has coached at the university level for 9 years and has developed 41 All-Americans and 8 National Champions. His positive and enthusiastic coaching creates a great environment for learning and developing his athletes to the next level. A few of his top throwers include Sarah Stevens (Shot Put – 18.40m, Hammer Throw – 66.52), Jessica Pressley (Shot Put – 18.79m, Hammer Throw – 68.31m), Ryan Whiting (Shot Put – 21.74m), Jason Lewis (Hammer Throw – 68.15m).
Nick Hysong – Olympic Champion
Assistant Coach – Pole Vault Specialist, Long Jump Specialist, Strength Specialist
Nick Hysong has excelled at every level of Pole Vaulting, from Junior Olympic and High School to NCAA and Professional careers. Hysong demonstrated his talent from the outset by winning the Junior Olympic Nationals. He followed that with the Arizona State Championship and by becoming the number one high school vaulter in the country his senior year (finishing 6th at the World Junior Championships). College brought even more success. Hysong became two-time PAC-10 Champion and NCAA Champion his senior year. Hysong reached the peak of his career when he won the 2000 Olympic Games, and followed up with a bronze medal in the 2001 World Championships. Hysong competed on a total of 8 National teams (1990 World Juniors, 1995 & 1999 World Indoors, 1999, 2001, 2005 World Champs, 2001 Goodwill Games, 2000 Olympics). Hysong has a wealth of coaching experience from swimming and volleyball to several Track and Field events. Hysong draws upon his 28 years of pole vaulting and his experience coaching several different sports to offer athletes a chance to learn from his successes, mistakes and advanced knowledge of his sport.
Paul Wagner
Intern
Paul Wagner is an intern for the World Throws Center helping with day to day operations of the facility. Paul is a Sport Management major at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. He is a Division II Hammer All-American with a personal best of 59.96m (196-9). He also is a four time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Champion in the hammer and the 35 lbs weight. Paul was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Team for the 2008-2009 year.
