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| Hammering into the Hall |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 20 June 2008 | |
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PHS alumnus honored for hammer-throwing prowess In Norse mythology, the hammer of the thunder god, Thor, was the symbol of his power.  HE IS THE HAMMER: Steve Adelman (left), a PHS and UC Davis alumnus, smiles during a ceremony inducting him into the Davis Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame for his record-setting abilities in the hammer toss. Courtesy Photo For Adelman — a 1985 graduate of Patterson High — the words “Hammer Time” have nothing to do with MC Hammer or his 1990 hit song “U Can’t Touch This.” Adelman’s fortitude and competitiveness helped define a career that featured an NCAA Division II championship, an appearance at the Division I championships and three Northern California Athletic Conference titles. “Participating in track was great while I was in school,” Adelman said. “Track was a good diversion that helped clear my mind. I would go out, get some great exercise and then continue to study.” Today, Adelman lives in Grass Valley with wife, Carolle, 14-year-old daughter, Fabia, and 11 year-old-son, Derek, where he serves as the director of engineering for CD Ventura LLC. His proud parents, Everett and Edith Adelman, still live in Patterson. “I never would have had any of these opportunities had it not been for the support of my parents,” Adelman said. Adelman threw discus and shot put while in high school, launching personal-best tosses of 57 feet, 10½ inches and 167-2½, respectively, and qualified for the state finals in his senior season. His top marks still stand as PHS records. Adelman credits his coaches at every stage of his development. Former Patterson High track coach Steve Reader helped transition Adelman into collegiate athletics. But, interestingly enough, it wasn’t the school’s athletic program that prompted the star athlete to enroll at Davis. Adelman was much more engrossed by the institution’s fine engineering programs. “Academics were my first priority,” Adelman said. He graduated from Davis in 1990 with a degree in aeronautical engineering and later also attained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Adelman was a walk-on member of the Davis track team. It didn’t take the athlete long to secure a spot on then-Davis throwing coach Sam Young’s roster. “The first time I threw the shot for him, I heard a ‘Whoa,’” he recalled. Adelman’s Aggie career culminated with a national title in the hammer throw in 1990, when he won the event by more than 20 feet. The victory marked the first of three hammer throw championships won by Davis in the ’90s. Adelman captured the NCAC hammer titles in 1989 and 1990, adding a shot put title in the latter season. His winning hammer throw mark of 206 feet, 6 inches at the 1990 NCAC meet set conference and school records and still stands as the No. 2 all-time toss at Davis. With his past achievements and this recent acclaim, Adelman might even do a victory dance. Parachute pants are optional. Hammering home the concept The men’s hammer throw has been contested in the modern Olympic games since 1900, and women’s throws were included in 2000. Early incarnations of the event used an actual hammer, hence the name. Now, throws are done with a “hammer” that consists of a metal ball on a wire with a handle at the opposite end. The thrower spins the hammer above his or her head while turning as many as four times to generate momentum. Once optimum speed is obtained, the competitor releases the hammer at an angle that will allow it to fly at maximum distance while staying within the prescribed boundaries of the field. To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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