One-time Cinnaminson athlete Faith Blamon, who hadn’t competed since July of 2022, hit the 2nd-biggest javelin throw of her life Saturday and biggest in seven years in a meet at Rider.
Blamon, who competed at Monmouth through the 2017 season, threw 161-1 competing unattached at the Rider Invitational in Lawrenceville.
That’s the 2nd-best result of her career. She had a 162-7 to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships at Rider in 2017.
Series information not available, of course, because why would results include what actually happened in the meet?
Blamon’s last meet was the USATF Club Nationals in West Long Branch in July 2022, where she won with a throw of 144-10.
Blamon is one of 12 South Jersey women to hit 160 feet in the javelin, and she’s 9th on the all-time South Jersey list with her 162-7.
Her 161-1 Saturday isn’t listed on World Athletics 2024 U.S. javelin rankings but should be about No. 32. But who knows how many other marks aren’t listed? The World Athletics rankings, which have always been impeccable, have been riddled with inaccuracies and omissions this year.
A few years ago, a number of South Jersey women were active at a national level, but currently only Millville graduate Leah Howard of Texas Tech and Blamon are throwing in the 160s. Howard, who threw 163-1 as a Millville senior last spring, has a 159-9 so far this spring at a meet in Lubbock, Texas.
All-Time South Jersey Alumni Javelin List
169-9 … Kelly Yanucil [Bordentown], April 29, 2006, Philadelphia
169-3 … Lynlee Phillips [Shawnee], May 5, 2000, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
168-6 … Brielle Smith [Oakcrest], April 20, 2019, Woodbury, N.J.
168-0 … Maria Jiminez [Vineland], May 13, 2016, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
166-6 … Danielle Steff [Rancocas Valley], April 10, 2021, Lawrenceville, N.J.
166-4 … Megan Sax Vanderweyden [Pennsville], May 11, 2018, Waco, Texas
163-5 … Heather Juhring [Kingsway], March 21, 2015, Winston Salem, N.C.
163-1 … Leah Howard [Millville], April 22, 2023, Woodbury, N.J.
162-7 … Faith Blamon [Cinnaminson], May 6, 2017, Lawrenceville, N.J.
161-7 … Brenna Smith [Haddon Twp.], April 21, 2018, Durham, N.C.
161-1 … Katherine Johnston [Haddonfield], May 14, 2017, University Park, Pa.
160-4 … Alexa Gardner [Hammonton], May 26, 2022, Bloomington, Ind.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 