Logan Guttadauro ’27
Physics major, Mathematics minor
Men’s Track and Field
After learning the newly established track and field program was looking for throwers, Logan Guttadauro ’27 transferred to Saint Anselm his second semester in College. A self-declared “math guy,” Guttadauro was intrigued by the language of how things work—physics. With a newfound appreciation for hammer throw, the student-athlete elected to explore the sport he loved through an intricate, physics-based mathematical analysis.
For this research, Guttadauro considered how projective motion, release angle, and release velocity matter when executing a good hammer throw. He also studied if height or weight has any impact on the throw and if regularly practicing competitive lifts contributes to overall event performance. To supplement his findings with primary sources, Guttadauro created and shared a survey with several Olympic hammer throwers via Instagram. To his surprise, he received three responses from Taylor Campbell, Brooke Anderson, and Rudy Winkler—who responded within the hour. He even received a personal response from Anderson wishing him luck in his studies.
Guttadauro noted that increased velocity has a greater rate of change than that of an adjusted angle and that angles shouldn’t be prioritized as highly as speed when competing. He also found that conditioning with competitive lifts that utilize the entire body (such as snatches and cleans) can greatly increase one’s throw distance. While it’s not a set indicator for improvement, full-body training significantly supports technique and muscle development in hammer throwers. It leads to strength-induced weight gain, which Guttadauro confirmed does enhance the throw as opposed to height. This research didn’t just strengthen Guttadauro’s comprehension of physics— it boosted confidence in his personal approach to hammer throw.