From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rowan’s army of javelin throwers leads the Profs into the NCAA Division 3 Track and Field Championships starting Thursday in Northeastern Ohio.

Rowan, ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division 3, is seeking its first national title in 38 years, since it won its fifth straight in 1984.

The meet runs Thursday through Saturday at SPIRE Institut in Geneva, Ohio.

Complete men’s entries: Click here.

Complete women’s entries: Click here.

Rowan’s chances to win its sixth  national championship depend largely on the success of its javelin group. The Profs have the No. 1, 2, 4, 7 and 17 seeds so a real opportunity to score huge points in one event.

Sophomore Greg Poloso, a Rider transfer from Wayne Valley, is the No. 1 seed at 230-11, grad student Dan McAleavey from Howell is No. 2 at 220-2, junior Edgar Rosa from Paulsboro is No. 4 at 212-11, freshman Lane Owens from Ocean City No. 7 with a season-best 209-7, and sophomore Julio LeBron from Memorial of West New York No. 17 at 190-11.

So with the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system, if the javelin goes by seed Rowan would score 25 points in one event. The highest winning score since 2015 has been 46 points. The javelin final is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Other top-10 seeds for the Profs are sophomore Nana Agyemang of Parsippany in the long jump [No. 4 at 24-9], sophomore Ahmir Johnson of Wissahickon in the triple jump [No. 6 at 49-2 ½] John Owens from West Windsor-Plainsboro North in the 400-meter hurdles [No. 8 at 52.86] and the 4-by-4 relay [No. 10 at 3:12.77], which will likely include Marquise Young of Sterling, Agyemang, Jah’mere Beasley of Sterling and Amara Conte from Ferris High in Jersey City.

Beasley also qualified in the 200 [21.26], Young in the 110-meter high hurdles [14.37], Millville’s Treshan Stevenson in the intermediates [53.24], Kingsway’s Earnest Daniel in the high jump [6-8 ¼] and Johnson in the long jump as well as the triple [24-1 ¾].

The hammer throw will be of particular interest to South Jersey. Rutgers-Camden senior Jude Misko from Cherry Hill East, defending national champion with a 198-5, is the No. 2 seed at 204-1, and his longtime rival Stockton senior Darren Wan of Egg Harbor Township is the No. 7 seed at 190-8.

Stockton will also be represented by senior pole vaulter Keith Holland of Central Regional, who is the No. 12 seed in the pole vault at 16-0 ¾.

In the women’s meet, Rowan is sending freshman Nevaeh Lorjuste of Triton [56.77 in 400], freshman Molly Lodge of Woodstown [56.88 in 400], senior Nicole Notarianni from South Brunswick [No. 10 seed at 14.12 in 100 hurdles] and the 1,600-meter relay team of Lodge, Lorjuste, junior Kat Pedersen from Hillsborough and junior Amanthy Sosa Caceres [No. 9 seed at 3:50.11].

Shawnee graduate Amanda Demko, a sophomore at The College of New Jersey, is No. 10 seed in the 400 at 56.15 and is also on TCNJ’s 400-meter relay team, which is No. 9 seed.

In the NCAA Division 2 meet at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., Kingsway graduate will race in the 10,000-meter run, which is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. on Thursday.

Rancocas Valley graduate Jasmine State of Bloomfield ranks No. 9 in NCAA Division 2 in the high hurdles at 13.74 but is not entered.