Dave Laut

Dave Laut
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Pan American Games

David ("Dave") Lester Laut (December 21, 1956 – August 28, 2009) was an American shot putter. He was born in Findlay, Ohio and grew up in Oxnard, California. Laut attended Art Haycox Elementary School, E. O. Green Junior High School, Santa Clara High School, Moorpark College^[1] (all in Ventura County), along with San Jose City College and UCLA,^[2] where he was a two-time NCAA champion and ranked No. 1 shot putter in the United States.^[3]

Career

He won the bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He also won the gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games and the bronze at the 1981 IAAF World Cup. He was the 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985 United States champion in the shot put.^[4]

His personal best throw was 22.02 meters, achieved in August 1982 in Koblenz. In 1985, Laut was ranked No. 7 shot putter in the world and as the No. 1 American.^[5]

Laut tore tendons in both knees during an agility test to become a firefighter. He attempted to join the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, but fell short at the Olympic trials.^[6]

In 1997 he was named to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.

After his retirement from being a professional shot putter, he became an assistant track coach at Ventura College in 1994. He served eight seasons as the track coach for for Hueneme High School in the Oxnard Union High School District and was promoted to athletic director in 2008.^[7]

Death

Laut died at his home in Oxnard, California, on August 28, 2009, after being shot several times in the head. He was 52 years old. His wife, Jane, was arrested over five months later, and she claimed that she had shot Laut in self-defense.^[8] Clinical psychologist Katherine Emerick, who was treating Jane Laut for depression, testified that she had diagnosed Jane Laut with post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, dependent personality disorder, and avoidant personality disorder.^[9] On March 30, 2016, she was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. She had turned down a plea bargain for a six-year sentence.^[10]

References

^ "Inside Athletics - Moorpark College". moorparkcollege.edu. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2011-01-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame
^ "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ Police arrest wife of slain Olympian David Laut on murder charge. USA Today (2010-02-13). Retrieved on 2010-02-15.
^ "Psychologist testifies in Laut case, says defendant has form of PTSD". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ "Olympian Dave Laut's Wife Jane Got 50 Not 6 Years In Jail For Murder". 2paragraphs.com. Retrieved 16 October 2016.

External links

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[1] "Inside Athletics - Moorpark College". moorparkcollege.edu. Retrieved 16 October 2016.

[2] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2011-01-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame

[3] "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[4] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[5] "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[6] "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[7] "Laut remembered as Olympian, teacher, coach and man with heart of gold". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[8] Police arrest wife of slain Olympian David Laut on murder charge. USA Today (2010-02-13). Retrieved on 2010-02-15.

[9] "Psychologist testifies in Laut case, says defendant has form of PTSD". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 26 February 2017.

[10] "Olympian Dave Laut's Wife Jane Got 50 Not 6 Years In Jail For Murder". 2paragraphs.com. Retrieved 16 October 2016.

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v t e 1984 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	1984 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Ray Armstead Alonzo Babers Kirk Baptiste Ron Brown Tonie Campbell Don Clary Paul Cummings Brian Diemer Marco Evoniuk Greg Foster Sam Graddy Johnny Gray John Gregorek Danny Harris Tranel Hawkins Jim Heiring Thomas Jefferson Earl Jones Roger Kingdom Steve Lacy Carl Lewis Henry Marsh John Marshall Antonio McKay Walter McCoy Edwin Moses Sunder Nix Daniel O'Connor Vince O'Sullivan Doug Padilla Pete Pfitzinger Pat Porter Alberto Salazar Carl Schueler Steve Scott Calvin Smith Willie Smith Jim Spivey John Tuttle Craig Virgin
Men's field athletes	Duncan Atwood Willie Banks Earl Bell Tim Bright Ed Burke Art Burns Michael Carter Mike Conley Sr. John Crist Milton Goode Bill Green Al Joyner Dave Laut Carl Lewis Jud Logan Doug Lytle Mike McRae Larry Myricks Doug Nordquist Tom Petranoff John Powell Steve Roller Dwight Stones Mike Tully Mac Wilkins Augie Wolf Jim Wooding
Women's track and road athletes	Evelyn Ashford Sharrieffa Barksdale Joan Benoit Jeanette Bolden Cindy Bremser Valerie Brisco-Hooks Alice Brown Judi Brown Julie Brown Robin Campbell Chandra Cheeseborough Mary Decker Diane Dixon Benita Fitzgerald-Brown Kim Gallagher Randy Givens Florence Griffith Joyner Joan Hansen Denean Howard Sherri Howard Julie Isphording Missy Kane Lillie Leatherwood Pam Page Diana Richburg Kim Turner Angela Wright-Scott Ruth Wysocki
Women's field athletes	Jodi Anderson Carol Cady Laura De Snoo Leslie Deniz Cindy Greiner Lorna Griffin Joni Huntley Jackie Joyner Carol Lewis Ramona Pagel Louise Ritter Karin Smith Pam Spencer Lynda Sutfin Cathy Sulinski Angela Thacker
Coaches	—

v t e US National Championship winners in men's shot put
1876–1878 New York Athletic Club	1876–78: Henry Buermeyer
1879–1888 NAAAA	1879–80: A.W. Adams 1881–86: Frank Lambrecht 1887: George Gray/Frank Lambrecht 1888^{Note 1}: Frank Lambrecht
1888–1979 Amateur Athletic Union	1888–94^{Note 1}: George Gray 1895: William Hickok 1896: George Gray 1897: Charles Hennemann 1898–99: Richard Sheldon 1900: Denis Horgan 1901: Fred Beck 1902: George Gray 1903: Leon Feuerbach 1904: Martin Sheridan 1905–06: Wesley Coe 1907–10: Ralph Rose 1911–12: Pat McDonald 1913: Lawrence Whitney 1914: Pat McDonald 1915–17: Arlie Mucks 1918: Alma Richards 1919–20^OT: Pat McDonald 1921: Bud Houser 1922: Pat McDonald 1923: Orville Wanzer 1924: Ralph Hills 1925: Bud Houser 1926: Herbert Schwarze 1927: John Kuck 1928^OT–31: Herman Brix 1932^OT: Leo Sexton 1933–35: Jack Torrance 1936: Dimitri Zaitz 1937: James Reynolds 1938: Frank Ryan 1939: Lilburn Williams 1940–42: Al Blozis 1943–44: Earl Audet 1945–46: Bill Bangert 1947–48: Jim Delaney 1949–50: Jim Fuchs 1951–55: Parry O'Brien 1956: Ken Bantum 1957: Bill Nieder 1958–60: Parry O'Brien 1961: Dallas Long 1962: Gary Gubner 1963: Dave Davis 1964: Randy Matson 1965: John McGrath 1966–68: Randy Matson 1969: Neal Steinhauer 1970: Randy Matson 1971: Karl Salb 1972: Randy Matson 1973–75: Al Feuerbach 1976–77: Terry Albritton 1978: Al Feuerbach 1979: Dave Laut
1980–1992 The Athletics Congress	1980: Brian Oldfield 1981: Dave Laut 1982: Kevin Akins 1983: Dave Laut 1984: Augie Wolf 1985: Dave Laut 1986–87: John Brenner 1988: Ed Wade 1989: Randy Barnes 1990: Jim Doehring 1991: Ron Backes 1992^OT: Mike Stulce
1993–onwards USA Track & Field	1993: Randy Barnes 1994: C. J. Hunter 1995: Brent Noon 1996^OT–97: Randy Barnes 1998–99: John Godina 2000^OT: Adam Nelson 2001: John Godina 2002: Adam Nelson 2003: John Godina 2004^OT: Adam Nelson 2005: Christian Cantwell 2006: Adam Nelson 2007–08^OT: Reese Hoffa 2009–10: Christian Cantwell 2011: Adam Nelson 2012^OT: Reese Hoffa 2013: Ryan Whiting 2014–15: Joe Kovacs 2016^OT-17: Ryan Crouser 2018: Darrell Hill 2019: Ryan Crouser 2021^{2020 OT}: Ryan Crouser 2022-23: Ryan Crouser
Notes	Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.