University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Four Gophers to Compete at IAAF World Championships
9/9/2025 2:41:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota will have four representatives from three different countries at the 2025 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Starting on September 13 until Sept. 17 the Maroon and Gold will see Nayoka Clunis, Charles Godfred, Angelos Mantzouranis and Kostas Zaltos compete on one of the biggest stages of the sport of track and field.
Nayoka Clunis will represent Jamaica in the women's hammer throw qualification round starting on Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. CT. Clunis was a three-time All-American with the Maroon and Gold with her First Team All-American status in 2021 being her best finish at the NCAA level. Since 2021, Clunis has improved her lifetime best by over four meters to 71.83m (235-8) in May of 2024. The former Gopher qualified for the IAAF World Championships in the 26th spot out of 36 competitors.
Two-time Nigerian national long jump champion Charles Godfred competes for his home country starting on September 15 in the qualification round of the men's long jump competition. Godfred is a two-time reigning long jump Big Ten champion in the long jump and holds Minnesota's school record. He holds a wind-legal lifetime best of 8.16m (26-9 1/4) with a wind-aided career best leap of 8.19m (26-10 1/2). The current Gopher qualified for the IAAF World Championships in the 36th spot out of 36 competitors.
Minnesota's men's hammer throw school record holder Angelos Mantzouranis competes for his home country of Greece starting on September 15 in the qualification round along with fellow Greek Kostas Zaltos. Mantzouranis automatically qualified for the World Championships competition by hitting the world standard back in April of 2025 at Hamline's Meet of the UnSaintly with a lifetime best mark of 78.61m (257-11). Mantzouranis went on to earn his second career NCAA medal with a runner-up finish at Hayward Field in June behind the fellow Gopher, Zaltos.
The reigning NCAA champion in the men's hammer throw, Kostas Zaltos earned his second career IAAF World Championships spot in the No. 20 spot out of the 36 competitors that begin competition on September 15 at 7 p.m. CT in Tokyo. Zaltos completed his NCAA career as a four-time First Team All-American and a four-time Big Ten hammer throw champion for the Maroon and Gold. He holds a lifetime best of 78.08m (256-2) in the event, which he used to claim his NCAA title back in June of 2025.
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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Nayoka Clunis - Women's Hammer Throw qualification at 7 p.m. CT on Sept. 13 (FINAL - Sept. 15. at 7 a.m. CT)
WATCH Women's Hammer Throw Qualification: CNBC (7 pm CT - 9:30 pm CT) OR Peacock (7 pm CT - 9:30 pm CT)
Charles Godfred - Men's Long Jump qualification at 5:40 a.m. CT on Sept. 15 (FINAL - Sept. 17 at 6:50 a.m. CT)
WATCH Men's Long Jump Qualification: USA (6:30 am CT - 9:30 am CT) OR Peacock (6:30 am CT - 9:30 am CT)
Kostas Zaltos and Angelos Mantzouranis - Men's Hammer Throw qualification at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 (FINAL - Sept. 16. at 7 a.m. CT)
WATCH Men's Hammer Throw FINAL (no qualification stream): USA (6 am CT - 9:30 am CT) OR Peacock (6:30 am CT - 9:30 am CT)