Joshua McAdams


Joshua McAdams is an American track and field athlete who competes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Education

McAdams attended Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, where he was a four-time OHSAA state placer in track and cross country and a three time OHSAA state placer in wrestling. He initially competed for Belmont University, where he described his performance as not "spectacular". He then left the school to complete a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thailand. On returning to school, McAdams switched to Brigham Young University where he studied microbiology and molecular biology and was a non-scholarship athlete on the track team. He won the 3000 meter Steeplechase at the 2006 NCAA National Championships.
In 2012, McAdams graduated from the Southern College of Optometry and completed a rotation in neuro-optometry and ocular disease at the Miles Eye Center in Show Low, Arizona.

Professional career

In June 2009 McAdams won the USA Outdoor Steeplechase to become National champion for a second time. McAdams represented USA in the World championships in Berlin, Germany in August 2009.
McAdams is also a 2007 USA Outdoor champion; 2007 Pan American Games champ; and 2006 NCAA Outdoor champion. He has placed 8th at 2005 USA Outdoors and 9th at 2005 NCAA Outdoors.
After a successful 2007, McAdams finished third in the 2008 Olympic Trials for 3,000 meter steeplechase. Following the win at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, he won the gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 8 minutes 30.49 seconds. Also that year, he improved his personal best time to 8:21.36, ending the 2007 campaign ranked #1 in the U.S. by Track & Field News.
McAdams won the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships 3,000m steeplechase title with his then personal best time of 8:34.10. With this victory, he was the first runner from BYU to win a distance National Champion since his coach, Ed Eyestone, who won the 5,000-meter title in 1985.
He qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics after coming in 3rd at 2008 Olympic Trials.

Accomplishments

  • 2009: USA Outdoor champion
  • 2008: 9th in opening round at Olympic Games …3rd at Olympic Trials...ranked #3 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 8:21.99.
  • 2007: USA Outdoor champion …Pan American Games champ … 5th in heats at World Outdoors...2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic …2nd at Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational …ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 8:21.36.
  • 2006: NCAA champion …10th at USA Outdoors …best of 8:34.10.
  • 2005: 8th at USA Outdoors …9th at NCAA Outdoors …best of 8:34.84.
  • 2004: Best of 8:45.26.

    Personal life

McAdams is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year church mission in Bangkok, Thailand. He currently lives in Meridian, Idaho, with his wife, Whitney, and four kids.