16 Jan USATF Foundation Awards Reggie Jagers III Frederick W. Lambert Grant
1-16-24
PITTSBURGH – The USATF Foundation is proud to present its annual Frederick W. Lambert grant to Reggie Jagers III. Jagers will be the recipient of a $10,500 grant in memory of Frederick W Lambert, announced USATF Foundation CEO, Tom Jackovic and Chairman, Bob Greifeld. This grant was made possible by generous donations from Mark and Kelly Lambert, Heidi Keefe, Scott Cooper, who have perennially supported this grant since its founding in 2018. Additional contributions in support of the grant were provided by the South Bay Athletic Club, a Los Angeles community-based non-profit dedicated to promoting track and field athletes at all levels.
A passionate track and field fan, Frederick Lambert grew up in New Jersey and fell in love with track and field as an athlete. He competed for the University of Michigan in both football and track and field where he performed in the shot put and discus throw. It didn’t take long for him to focus solely on track and field and was a key component to Michigan’s Big 10 Championship Teams during 1962-1964. Even in high school he was a standout, claiming multiple state champion titles and setting the New Jersey state record in discus. Lambert went on to attend the University of Michigan Law School and served as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist (later appointed Chief Justic of the United States). He spent 20 years in private practice and as many years as a law professor in various elite law schools including the University of Michigan.
Reflecting on the selection of Reggie Jagers for this year’s grant, Mark Lambert said, “it is a real thrill to award a grant in my dad’s name to a fellow discus thrower, especially to an Olympian of fine character like Reggie’s who has demonstrated perseverance through challenges and injury to remain in the sport. We deeply appreciate Reggie’s service to our country in the U.S. Army. My family and I, along with Heidi, Scott, and Conor McCollough of SBAC (himself a former Foundation grantee) could not be happier about supporting Reggie in his run for Paris 2024.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Reggie Jagers has been no stranger to elite competition, taking both a silver and a bronze in 2013 for the USATF Junior (U20) Championships and Pan American Junior (U20) Championships, respectively. He
worked his way up in the NCAA Championships going from a 19th place finish to a 2nd place finish over the course of his career. More recently, he set the left-handed discus world record in 2018 and represented Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. After the Olympics, Reggie suffered several injuries and has now recovered to return to competition on the highest level. In addition to his athletic pursuits, Reggie is an active-duty serviceman in the U.S. Army, in the rank of Specialist.
Following his selection as this year’s Lambert Grant recipient, Reggie expressed his “heartfelt gratitude for the prestigious Frederick W. Lambert Memorial Grant. The impact of this grant on my track and field journey is immeasurable.” Reflecting on the obstacles he has overcome, Reggie added, “In a year marked by challenges, including the loss of funding from USATF due to labrum surgery on my hip, your Foundation’s intervention has been a beacon of hope. I felt a sense of abandonment, but your support has not only filled that void but also rekindled my belief in pursuing my dream of making my second Olympic team.”