Chris Mirabelli, a former Meet of Champs winner for Holy Cross, placed third in the Penn Relays college javelin Saturday, throwing 227-5.
That’s just 21 inches off his PR of 229-2, set last weekend at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton University.
Mirabelli, a Rutgers freshman, is ranked No. 23 in NCAA Division 1 and No. 9 in the East Regional. Mirabelli finished behind only Robert Smutsky of William and Mary, who won with a 235-1, and teammate Josh Suttmeier, who threw 231-10.
Suttmeier, a South Carolina transfer, attended North Hunterdon High School. Suttmeier was ninth in the 2012 NCAA championships, earning All-America honors.
Mirabelli’s high school PR was 216-6 at last year’s South Jersey Open at Buena. That’s No. 4 in state history with the new javelin.
Mirabelli is the No. 4 freshman in Division 1, behind Ioannis Kyriazis of Texas A&M (248-6), Brad Stevens of Washington State (233-2) and Michael Criticos of Memphis (230-5).
The No. 5 freshman in Division 1 is Curtis Thompson of Mississippi State, who threw 224-7 at the Crimson Side Invitational last month. Thompson, a Florence graduate, and Mirabelli are the last two New Jersey Meet of Champions winners.
Thompson had a high school PR of 224-10, set at last year’s Meet of Champions.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 