Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Sam Mattis

Samuel Harrison Mattis is an American Olympic track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw, and has a personal record of 68.69 meters. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th. Mattis represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw in Paris.

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Sam Mattis
Mattis in 2024
Personal information
Full nameSamuel Harrison Mattis
NationalityAmerican
Born (1994-03-19) March 19, 1994
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight245 lb (111 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event
Discus throw
College teamUniversity of Pennsylvania
Coached byMarlon Mattis, Jake Brenza
Achievements and titles
Personal best72.45 meters

Samuel Harrison Mattis (born March 19, 1994) is an American Olympic track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw, and has a personal record of 68.69 meters.1 At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th. Mattis represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw in Paris.

Early and personal life

Mattis was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Marlon and Marcie Mattis, and is Jewish as is his mother.23 His father was born in Jamaica and moved to New York as a child.2 He has one brother, Jake, who also attended the University of Pennsylvania. His father was the captain of the William & Mary track & field team in 1985, held the 35-lbs weight throw record, and ranks No. 3 in the hammer.4

Mattis grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and attended East Brunswick High School, where he competed in the discus throw and shot put events as a teenager.234

While in high school Mattis won the 2011 New Jersey Meet of Champions, the 2012 Penn Relays and the 2012 New Balance Nationals, in the discus throw.3 He graduated high school with a personal best of 218 feet and 4 inches which is one of the top throws in American high school history.5

Mattis commited to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Operations Management.3

Career

College career

Sam Mattis competed for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers, where he was a member of the track and field program for four years. He won the discus throw at the 2015 NCAA National Championships.6 He also won the 2016 Philadelphia College Classic with a throw of 67.45 m (221 ft 3 in), a mark reported as one of the top collegiate performances in the event.

Mattis also earned three NCAA All-American honors, and was named the USATFCCA/NCAA National Scholar of the year. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association selected him as the 2015 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for Division I.7 He is a four-time Heps Outdoor Champion in the discus throw, and received First-Team All-Ivy honors for each of his four outdoor seasons.

Professional Career

2019

Mattis won the gold medal at the 2019 Outdoor USA Track and Field Championships, with a throw of 218-9.3 At the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, he placed 11th.3

2021

In June 2021, Mattis became an Olympian after finishing top three at the 2020 United States Track and Field Olympic Trials. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came in 11th.3

2022

At the 2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, Mattis placed third in the discus throw with a mark of 62.24 m (204 ft 2 in), qualifying for the United States team for the World Athletics Championships.8

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Mattis qualified for the final in the men’s discus throw with a mark of 65.59 m in the qualifying round. In the final, he placed 11th with a best throw of 63.19 m.9

2023

Mattis won the gold medal in the discus throw with a throw of 65.93 m (216 ft 3 in) at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon in July 2023. He won the silver medal with a throw of 64.69m at the 2023 Doha Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.

2024

Mattis won the silver medal in the discus throw with a throw of 66.07 m (216 ft 9 in) at the 2024 United States Olympic trials. Mattis represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Men's discus throw at Stade de France in Paris.

2025

At the 2025 Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, Oklahoma, Sam Mattis competed in the men’s discus throw. He placed third in the event with a mark of 71.27 m (233 ft 10 in), achieved in the final round of competition. The meet featured multiple throws over 70 m among the top competitors. Mattis’ 71.27 m throw was his then personal-best performance and ranked among the top American performances of the 2025 season.10

Mattis completed at the 2025 World Athletics Championship but did not make the final.11

2026

On April 9th, 2026, Mattis competed at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, Oklahoma, in the men’s discus throw. He placed fourth in a highly competitive field with a mark of 72.45 m (237 ft 8 in), setting a new personal best and beating the previous American record held by Ben Plucknett from 1981.12

Honors

In 2023, Mattis was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.32

Personal Life

Mattis lives in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.3 Mattis attends and help Throws University in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.

Major competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the  United States
2016 2016 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 2nd Discus throw 60.96 m (200 ft 0 in)
2016 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton University 1st Discus throw 62.45 m (204 ft 10+12 in)
2015 2015 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 1st Discus throw 62.48 m (204 ft 11+34 in)
2015 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Franklin Field - Penn 1st Discus throw 61.75 m (202 ft 7 in)
2014 2014 NCAA National Championships Hayward Field - Oregon 5th Discus throw 60.33 m (197 ft 11 in)
2014 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Reese Stadium - Yale 1st Discus throw 58.72 m (192 ft 7+34 in)
2013 Ivy League Outdoor Championships Weaver Track & Field Stadium - Princeton 1st Discus throw 58.34 m (191 ft 4+34 in)

Personal bests

Event Best (m) Venue Date
Discus throw (outdoor) 72.45 Ramona, Oklahoma April 9, 2026
Shot put (outdoor) 17.29 Princeton, New Jersey May 8, 2016
Shot put (indoor) 17.06 Ithaca, New York February 28, 2016
  • Information taken from World Athletics and Direct Athletics profiles.
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Personal Best nj.com. Accessed March 19, 2016
  2. Emily Burack (July 28, 2021). "18 Things to Know About Track Athlete Sam Mattis; The Jewish discus thrower is set to compete at his first Olympics in Tokyo," Hey Alma.
  3. "Samuel Mattis," Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
  4. Sam Mattis Archived April 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Penn Quakers. Accessed March 19, 2016.
  5. "Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  6. 2015 NCAA Nationals Archived April 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Penn Athletics. Accessed March 19, 2016
  7. DI Men's Track & Field Scholar Athletes of the Year USTFCCCA. Accessed March 19, 2016
  8. "USATF Outdoor Championships". www.flashresults.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  9. "Discus Throw Result | World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  10. "Mykolas Alekna Shatters Discus World Record with Sensational 75.56m Throw in Ramona | Watch Athletics". www.watchathletics.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  11. "Men's discus throw - Qualification results" (PDF). World Athletics. 20 September 2025. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  12. "Oklahoma Throws Series | Results | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
External links