EUGENE, Ore. -- Rising senior Rudy Winkler won the hammer throw at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials on Wednesday evening at Hayward Field. His throw of 76.76m (251-10) was more than five feet clear of the competition. He has not met the automatic standard in the event, so he will be forced to wait to see if he earns one of 24 invitations to the event, falling just .24m shy of the mark.

His massive throw of 76.76 meters (251-10) in fourth round throw is a record for any Heptagonal athlete and moved him from fourth to first to claim his first national title, He had a great series (229-10, 237-0, 237-6, 251-10, 233-6, foul). 

The selection process is a bit complicated in the field events. The automatic event standard in the hammer (77.00 meters) has only been met by 18 men, two of whom are from Russia, a country no longer invited to this year's Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will invite a field size of 24, and Winkler will be one of three American men nominated for inclusion. He was the NCAA runner-up in the hammer outdoors this past season after placing eighth in 2015 to claim All-America honors.