Women's Outdoor Track
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach (Throws) | 13th Season
- Email:
- j.kenneson@tcu.edu
- Phone:
- 817-257-7318
John Kenneson enters his 39th season of division I coaching and his 18th at TCU. In the last three decades he has built a legacy as one of the top throws coaches in the country. At TCU, Kenneson oversees all throwing events and strength and conditioning for the throwers.
Sydney Juszyzk was crowned TCU's first ever Big 12 Javelin Champion at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. She also broke her own school record when she won Section B of the women's javelin at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with her personal-best 50.62m (166' 1"). Samantha Callaway also garnered a spot on the podium at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships with her eighth-place finish in the women's discus 50.27m (164' 11").
The TCU throwers have made an impact at the conference and NCAA level. In men’s discus, Adam Damadzic and Tommy Killen earned 2nd team All-American Honors. Current Horned Frog Discus thrower Ryan Camp has earned has earned Honorable Mention All-America status. In the men’s Hammer, the Squad of Fellan McGuigan, Ryan Camp, Justin Sanchez, and Isaiah Rogers earned the number 3 USTFCCCA National ranking in 2018 and the number 4 ranking in the Indoor Wt. Throw. Fellan McGiugan earned Honorable Mention All American Status during his career and scored in the Top Five every year in the Big 12. Joe Brown earned All American Honors in the Javelin and was MWC champion. He was the first All American in the Men’s Javelin at TCU.
On the women’s throw group, Megan Smith earned two All-American 2nd team awards during her career in the shot Put and discus. She was Big 12 runner up in both events during her junior year. During the Mountain West Conference years the woman’s shot put event won eight consecutive conference titles and brought home two Penn Relays titles. In 2020-21, the Frogs return Big 12 scorer Brooklyn Klopf (shot put) and Jordan Williams who has moved into the TCU top list of performers.
Career Coaching Highlights:
• Coached 49 All Americans (TCU/Kentucky/Florida/Auburn/NC State/Ole Miss)
• Member- Coaching Staff- seven Top 5 NCAA TEAMS
• Member-Coaching Staff- five Top 10 NCAA TEAMS
• Member-Coaching Staff- 18 Top 20 NCAA TEAMS
• Coached USA Jr. Team Members in Shot Put/Discus/Hammer/Javelin
• SEC Triple Crown Coaching Staff (Florida)
• Coached American Collegiate Record Holder in the Javelin, Tom Pukstys (273-3)
• Coached Eight Consecutive Woman’s Shot Put Titles in the Mountain West Conference
• Coached 62 School Records ( SEC/Big 12/ACC)
Top Athletes Coached:
Megan Smith (TCU) - 2 x All-American School - Record Holder, Shot /Discus, (56-53/4/187-4 PR)
Joe Brown (TCU) - All American/ First Male Javelin Thrower to earn All-American Status
Candis Kelly (TCU) - Six Time Mountain West Shot Put Champion / Penn Relays Champion
Devin Roberson (TCU) - 2022 Big 12 Discus Champion
Sydney Juszczyk (TCU) - 2023 Big 12 Javelin Champion, School-Record Holder in the Javelin, 2022 Big 12 Javelin Bronze Medalist
Sam Callaway (TCU) - No. 2 on TCU's all-time records list in the discus (170-0), also No. 7 in the shot put (47-8.5)
Stormy Harrison/Kelsey Samuels/ Candis Kelly - Combined for 8 MWC Shot Put Titles/ 2 Penn Relays Titles and 14 All MWC Accolades
Jeff Chakouian – (Kentucky) 5 x All American/ Olympic Trails Finalist/ 1 of three Athletes in SEC History to win 4 consecutive SEC Indoor Titles. World Junior Finalist . Shot Put 66-5
Matt Kavanagh –(Kentucky) 5 x All American / US Jr. Pan AM Gold Medalist Hammer
Raina Turner- (Kentucky) 5 x All American High Jump
Eugene Grundy (Kentucky) 2 x All American High Jump 7-4.5
Ildiko Varga (Kentucky) 2 x All American Discus 182-5
Matt Simson (Florida) 4 x All American Shot Put - NCAA Runner Up Silver Medalist World University Games Shot Put
Dwight Johnson (Florida) 3 Time All American Shot Put/ Discus Penn Relays Champion (Discus), 66-1/ 192-2
Tom Pukstys – (Florida) 2 X All American - Javelin American Collegiate Record Holder (273-3), 2 x Olympian and Olympic Finalist.
Mike Holloway- (Florida) 3 x All American – Pole Vault, NCAA Runner Up, 18-8 ¾
Russ Willitt- (Florida) 2 x All American – Discus 197-11
Coaching Experience:
TCU - Assistant Coach, 2005-2023
Kentucky - Assistant Coach, 1992-2005
Auburn - Assistant Coach, 1998
Florida - Assistant Coach, 1986-1992
N.C. State - Assistant Coach, 1984-1986
Ole Miss - Assistant Coach, 1983-1984
Personal:
He and his wife Kim have two daughters- Rachael and Tori, and two sons Brandon and Kyle.
