On the last throw of the competition, Curtis Thompson bombed his biggest javelin throw in three years Saturday in East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Thompson, a Florence High School graduate, threw 258-7 on his final throw at the fifth annual ’s American JavFest at East Stroudsburg South, Pa., his best throw since his final meet of 2016, when he threw 260-11 at the same meet.
In 2016, Thompson had a huge year, winning NCAA’s for Mississippi State and setting a U.S. Olympic Trials record of 271-8 before placing second at the Trials. He closed the season at the Stroudsburg JavFest, which that year was in late July, after the Trials.
This year it’s a warmup for U.S. Nationals, and Thompson placed third behind two other top Americans – Michael Shuey, who threw 262-4 and Riley Dolezal, who threw 260-1.
Shuey, Dolezal and Thompson rank 1-2-3 in the U.S., Shuey with a 263-3 in Austin in March, Dolezal with his 260-1 and Thompson with his 258-7.
Thompson’s best previous throw this year was a 258-2 at the National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., in April.
On Saturday, Thompson opened with throws of 251-6, 246-10, 244-7, 247-9 and 244-7 before hitting his 258-7.
Brothers Chris and Nick Mirabelli placed seventh and ninth, Chris with a 235-10 and Nick at 225-7.
Chris Mirabelli recently finished his senior year at Rutgers, where he was the Big 10 champion and the 2017 Penn Relays champ. He has a PR of 251-6 from the 2017 Penn Relays. His throw Saturday is just off his season best of 237-2 that he threw at the South Florida Bulls Invite in Tampa in March.
Nick Mirabelli, who just finished his freshman year at Texas A&M, had a best throw this year of 236-6 at the Texas Relays in Austin in March. He was the No. 5 freshman in the U.S. this year
All three South Jersey throwers are ranked among the top-20 Americans, as is Holy Spirit’s Cade Antonucci, the Penn Relays champ for Auburn, who didn’t throw this weekend at East Stroudsburg.
Thompson and Chris Mirabelli are entered in javelin at the the USATF National Championships July 25-28 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 