The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has a reputation for inviting select professional athletes to come and enter in to its slate of time-honored competitions, but this year, John Van Deusen, called the games to ask if he could participate on his own accord. Based on Saturday, July 10’s results, this approach worked out pretty well for him.
Deusen finished first overall in the men’s heavy athletics competition, winning the open stone, lightweight for distance, hammer and weight over bar categories, while placing well in the heavyweight for distance, the caber toss and sheaf toss.
Even though it was only his second outing as a pro, Van Deusen showed out during his first trip to Grandfather Mountain.