Joshua McAdams (born March 26, 1980) is an American

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete who competes in the 3,000 meter

steeplechase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, ...

Education

McAdams attended Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, where he was a four-time

OHSAA The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of comp ...

state placer in track and cross country and a three time OHSAA state placer in wrestling. He initially competed for

Belmont University Belmont University is a Private university, private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporate ...

, where he described his performance as not "spectacular". He then left the school to complete a two-year mission for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

in Thailand. On returning to school, McAdams switched to

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

where he studied microbiology and molecular biology and was a non-scholarship athlete on the track team. He won the 3000 meter Steeplechase at the 2006

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

National Championships. In 2012, McAdams graduated from the

Southern College of Optometry The Southern College of Optometry is a privately owned educational institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. It specializes in optometry and offers a comprehensive program in this field. History The Southern College of Optometry (SCO) is a pr ...

and completed a rotation in neuro-optometry and ocular disease at the Miles Eye Center in

Show Low, Arizona Show Low is a city in Navajo County, Arizona. It lies on the Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona, at an elevation of 6,345 feet (1,934 m). The city was established in 1870 and incorporated in 1953. According to the 2020 United States census, ...

Professional career

In June 2009 McAdams won the USA Outdoor Steeplechase to become National champion for a second time. McAdams represented USA in the World championships in Berlin, Germany in August 2009. McAdams is also a 2007 USA Outdoor champion; 2007

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

champ; and 2006 NCAA Outdoor champion. He has placed 8th at 2005 USA Outdoors and 9th at 2005 NCAA Outdoors. After a successful 2007, McAdams finished third in the 2008 Olympic Trials for 3,000 meter steeplechase. Following the win at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, he won the gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil, in 8 minutes 30.49 seconds. Also that year, he improved his personal best time to 8:21.36, ending the 2007 campaign ranked #1 in the U.S. by Track & Field News. McAdams won the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships 3,000m steeplechase title with his then personal best time of 8:34.10. With this victory, he was the first runner from BYU to win a distance National Champion since his coach,

Ed Eyestone Edward D. Eyestone (born June 15, 1961) is a two-time Olympic marathoner, long-distance runner, and an NCAA coach for the BYU Track Team. Eyestone was named National Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2024, after leading his NCAA D1 men's cross coun ...

, who won the 5,000-meter title in 1985. He qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics after coming in 3rd at 2008 Olympic Trials.

Accomplishments

*2009: USA Outdoor champion (8:29.91) *2008: 9th in opening round at Olympic Games (8:33.26)…3rd at Olympic Trials (8:21.99)...ranked #3 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 8:21.99. *2007: USA Outdoor champion (8:24.46)…Pan American Games champ (8:30.49)… 5th in heats at World Outdoors (8:32.46)...2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (8:21.36PR)…2nd at Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational (8:23.69)…ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 8:21.36. *2006: NCAA champion (8:34.10)…10th at USA Outdoors (8:37.91)…best of 8:34.10. *2005: 8th at USA Outdoors (8:39.81)…9th at NCAA Outdoors (8:36.88)…best of 8:34.84. *2004: Best of 8:45.26.

Personal life

McAdams is a member of

. He served a two-year church mission in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. He currently lives in

Meridian, Idaho Meridian is a city located in Ada County, Idaho, Ada County, Idaho, United States. The population was 117,635 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Idaho, 2nd most populous city in the county and Idaho a ...

, with his wife, Whitney, and four kids.

References

External links

* *
byucougars.com

YahooOlympics
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAdams, Josh 1980 births Living people Latter Day Saints from Ohio Belmont Bruins men's track and field athletes American Mormon missionaries in Thailand BYU Cougars men's track and field athletes American male steeplechase runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States American expatriate sportspeople in Thailand Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) BYU Cougars men's cross country runners Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners 21st-century American sportsmen