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

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete who competes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

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 compe ...

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

Belmont University Belmont University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporated in 1951 as Belmont College. It be ...

before leaving 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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

in Thailand. On returning to school, McAdams switched to

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

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 student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

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 pri ...

and completed a rotation in neuro-optometry and ocular disease at the Miles Eye Center in Show Low, Arizona.

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 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 ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

, 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. Running career High school Eyestone graduated from Bonneville High School in Washington Terrace, Utah and was the Utah State ...

, 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 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 estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. He currently lives in

Meridian, Idaho Meridian is a city located in Ada County in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, the population of Meridian was 117,635, making it the second largest city in Idaho after Boise. Meridian is considered the state's fastest-growing city ...

, 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 University alumni 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 Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) BYU Cougars men's cross country runners Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games