Hammonton senior Austin Hudak popped the No. 12 javelin throw in South Jersey history Saturday at the Woodbury Relays.
Hudak unloaded a 193-10 on his final throw of the competition to not only win the event but move into the No. 13 spot on the MileSplit U.S. performance list.
Hudak entered the competition with a PR of 188-2 from the Jim Camburn Relays back on the first weekend of the season after throwing 175-9 last spring for 4th place at the Meet of Champions.
On Saturday, Hudak opened with a 163-1 and a foul before getting a solid mark with a 180-7 on his third attempt. After a 164-6 and a 171-8, he floated the javelin 193-10 on the final attempt of the competition.
He’s the first thrower from Atlantic County to win at Woodbury since Oakcrest’s Terrence Smith threw 178-5 in 2015.
Cade Antonucci of Holy Spirit won the Meet of Champions in 2017 with a throw of 220-11 and placed second at Nationals but was second that year at Woodbury to Rancocas Valley’s Nick Mirabelli. Antonucci and Mirabelli both went on to compete at NCAAs.
Hudak moved into the No. 4 spot in Atlantic County history, behind Antonucci, Mainland’s Kobe Roberts [199-10 in 2018] and Smith [196-9 in 2016].
Here’s a look at every 190-foot thrower in South Jersey history with the new javelin, in use since 2003.
(For the record, the Altantic County record with the old jav was 213-8 by Cornelius Cruz of Oakcrest in 1994.)
227-10 … Nick Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], 2017
224-10 … Curtis Thompson [Florence], 2014
220-11 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
216- 6 … Chris Mirabelli (Holy Cross), 2014
212- 2 … Alexander Georgia [Timber Creek], 2017
209- 4 … Steve Jernee (Ocean City), 2017
203- 6 … Stephen Benigno (Cherry Hill East), 2014
201- 1 … Sean Biehn (Burlington City), 2006
199-10 … Kobe Roberts [Mainland Reg.], 2018
196- 9 … Terrence Smith [Oakcrest], 2016
195-11 … Joshua Moore [Middle Twp.], 2017
193-10 … Austin Hudak [Hammonton], 2022
192- 6 … Matt Rafferty (Northern Burlington), 2012
192- 6 … Chris Reider (Eastern), 2010
192- 3 … Shane McDevitt (Cinnaminson), 2014
192- 1 … Nick Cando [Eastern], 2004
191- 6 … Robert Marks (Rancocas Valley), 2016
191- 5 … Andrew Pierce (Cumberland Reg.), 2009
190- 0 … Andrew Forbes (Williamstown), 2011
190- 2 … Ian Meneswisch (Highland), 2003
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 