Belmont Tosses Throwing

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Zach Watkins

After breaking four school records in 2024 and 2025, throwers on Belmont’s track and field team will have their last season this spring.  

Unable to find a replacement for former throwing coach Joe Frye, Belmont Athletics made a tough decision; track and field will continue without its throwing program for the 2026-2027 season. Frye left his position as both throwing and strength and conditioning coach in early June.  

The athletic department notified students of the coming changes in early October so that they would have time to decide whether they wanted to stay at Belmont or enter the transfer portals for track and field.   

“They’re facing a decision they didn’t anticipate having to face. And so, for that, I feel for them,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Corley. 

Some throwers are seniors who will get to finish out their fourth year on the team, while some are freshmen–every teammate is affected differently. 

An email sent out by Jeff Langdon, director of cross country and track and field, said that athletic scholarships will not face any changes. 

“I hate impacting young people’s lives with decisions like this, but at the end of the day we also wanted to be transparent,” said Corley. 

The communications department for athletics declined access to athletes for comment.  

Belmont throwing had a successful stretch of 12 school records over its 13 years, four of those being set in 2024 and 2025.  

Despite the department’s recruitment efforts, no suitable candidates were found who could uphold the standards that have been set over the years. 

“It’s not the ultimate outcome we wanted when Joe left, but it’s also the harsh reality of where we are right now,” said Corley.   

Luckily, the throwers have someone who is temporarily filling Frye’s shoes for this year. 

School record-setter for discus and weight throw Rebekah Stucker stepped in as a graduate assistant after Frye left. 

With more of a focus on spin throws which include discus, weight throw and shot put, Stucker will stay as assistant until the end of the spring season. 

The current circumstances put the throwing program and its athletes in a tough spot, but that doesn’t dictate what this coming season will look like.  

Throwers have ultimate say as to how the season will be carried out, along with their individual journeys after it ends. 

“It’s got to be their decision, and they’re going to have to weigh how much they enjoy the other things at Belmont and determine what their future looks like,” said Corley. 

Winter season for throwers will begin on Dec. 6 at the Vanderbilt Commodore Challenge. 

This article was written by Georgina America