Dametrius Hester, competing in his hometown of Mahwah, bombed the 5th-best javelin throw in NCAA Division 3 history Saturday at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at Ramapo.
Hester graduated from Mahwah High School, located about two miles up Rte. 202 from Ramapo University, just south of the New York State border.
Hester won the javelin with a meet-record 240-9, the best throw by a Division 3 athlete in eight years, since Seth Nonnenmacher of George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., threw 241-11 at the 2018 NCAA Championships in LaCrosse, Wisc. The national record of 247-10 was set by Deptford’s Tim VanLiew of Rutgers-Camden at the 2013 D-3 meet, also in LaCrosse.
Hester broke the meet record of 226-8 set by VanLiew at the 2013 meet at Rowan. His 240-9 is No. 11 among all U.S. men this year and better than all but 14 NCAA Division 1 throwers.
Hester broke his own school record of 240-5 that he set in Daytona Beach last month. His throw is No. 1 this year in Division 3 by more than 12 feet.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 