Florence’s Curtis Thompson, buried in 2nd place and down to his final throw, uncorked the 2nd-best throw in meet history to win his 6th U.S. javelin title and 4th in a row and cement his legacy as one of the greatest javelin throwers in American history.
Thompson, whose best throw through five rounds was a pedestrian 254-1, bombed a 287-4 on his final throw – the last throw of the competition – to top the field at the U.S. Championships at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
Thompson led through five rounds with that 254-1, but the University of Georgia’s Jordan Davis (not that one) took the lead with a season-best 270-2 on his final throw, bumping the heavily favored Thompson into second.
After U.S. No. 2 Mark Minichello, the former NCAA champ at Penn, didn’t move up on his final throw, the competition came down to one throw, and Thompson – who hadn’t topped 254-1 all day – needed to throw at least 270-2 to win.
He did that and more, with the 3rd-best throw of his life and No. 2 throw in the world this year.
The only superior throw in U.S. National Championships history is American record holder Breaux Greer’s 299-6 at the 2007 meet in Indianapolis.
Thompson, the World Championships bronze medalist last year, is the 4th to win six national javelin titles and only the second in the last 25 years. He’s the 4th New Jersey athlete to win six national titles and just the 2nd since 1950, along with legendary Carl Lewis.
He’s the first to win four in a row since Greer of Louisiana won eight straight from 2000 through 2007. The last to win four in a row before Greer was Oregon’s Boyd Brown from 1939 through 1942.
Thompson, a 2014 Florence graduate, is ranked No. 3 in U.S. history with his lifetime-best 287-11 at the Texas Relays in Austin in March of last year. His best throw this year before Saturday was a 282-1 in Doha, Qatar, last month.
Thompson fouled on his 1st throw but took the lead with a 249-11 on his 2nd and then added to his lead with a 254-1 on his 3rd. Going into the finals, he led former Penn NCAA champion and U.S. No. 2 Mark Minichello, who hit 249-3 on his 2nd throw, by five feet, with Georgia’s Jordan Davis (not that one) 3rd at 248-10 and Rowan rising senior Damitrius Hester 4th at 241-10.
In the finals, Thompson opened with a 239-4 and another 254-1 to set up his final-throw heroics.
Thompson’s previous-best 6th throw was a 271-7 at the 2021 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene.
Damitrius Hester, a rising senior at Rowan from Mahwah, had a terrific meet, placing 4th in his first U.S. championship with a 241-10 on his 3rd throw, giving New Jersey two of the top four spots. That’s just four feet off his PR of 245-10, which he hit on his final throw to win the NCAA Division 3 Nationals in Oshkosh, Wisc.
His 245-10 is the No. 2 throw in NCAA D-3 history. Hester has one more year of college eligibility. .
ALL-TIME NEW JERSEY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
13 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro]
100-Meter Dash: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990
200-Meter Dash: 1983, 1987
Long Jump: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1991
11 … Platt Adams [Newark High / Barringer]
Long Jump: 1908, 1911, 1912, 1914
Triple Jump: 1907, 1908, 1912
Pole Vault for Distance: 1910, 1913, 1914, 1915
8 … Eulace Peacock [Union]
100-Meter Dash: 1935
Long Jump: 1935
Pentathlon: 1933, 1934, 1937, 1943, 1944, 1945
6 … Curtis Thompson [Florence]
Javelin: 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
5 … Marty Liquori [Cedar Grove / Essex Catholic]
Mile: 1969, 1971
5,000-Meter Run: 1975, 1977, 1978
5 … Mel Sheppard [Almonesson, Brown Prep (Philadelphia)]
880-Yard Run: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912
6-TIME U.S. JAVELIN CHAMPIONS
Breaux Greer [8]: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Tom Pukstys [6]: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999
Bud Held [6]: 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958
George Bronder [6]: 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919
Curtis Thompson [6]: 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
MOST CONSECUTIVE U.S. JAVELIN TITLES
8 … Breaux Greer, 2000-2007
6 … George Bronder, 1914-1919
4 … Boyd Brown, 1939-1942
4 … Curtis Thompson, 2023-2026
CURTIS THOMPSON ALL-TIME 270-FOOT THROWS
287-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [2nd throw]
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2nd throw]
287-4 … U.S. Championships, New York, July 24, 2026 [6th throw]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
284-4 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [1st throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3rd throw]
282-1 … Doha Diamond Discipline, Doha, Qatar. June 19, 2026 [1st throw]
279-11 … Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, Ramona, Okla., April 10, 2026 [1stthrow]
279-10 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [3rd throw]
278-5 … USATF Lone Star Grand Prix, College Station, Texas, June 6, 2026 [1st throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
277-8 … Drake Relays, Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Idaho, April 23, 2026 [5th throw]
276-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [3rd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3rd throw]
276-0 … American Javfest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 11, 2026 [2ndthrow]
275-2 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4th throw]
275-2 … Diamond Discipline Golden Gala, Rome, June 4, 2026
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [1st throw]
273-4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [1stthrow]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [1st throw]
272-1 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2026 [1st throw]
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016 [1st throw]
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [3rd throw]
271-9 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [4th throw]
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [6th throw]
271-0 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 13, 2024 [1st throw]
270-6 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [6th throw]
270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]
BEST THROWS IN MEET HISTORY
299-6 … Breaux Greer, 2007 [1]
287-4 … Curtis Thompson, 2026 [1]
280-2 … Breaux Greer, 2006 [1]
279-7 … Breaux Greer, 2001 [1]
275-6 … Tom Pukstys, 1997 [1]
275-2 … Chris Hill, 2009 [1]
275-2 … Curtis Thompson, 2025 [1]
273-11 … Riley Dolezal, 2013 [1]
273-1 … Cyrus Hostetler, 2016 [1]
272-7 … Sean Furey, 2014 [1]
272-6 … Tom Pukstys, 1993 [1]
272-5 … Curtis Thompson, 2024 [1]
271-11 … Curtis Thompson, 2016 [2]
271-10 … Michael Shuey, 2019 [1]
271-9 … Riley Dolezal, 2019 [2]
271-7 … Curtis Thompson, 2021 [1]
270-6 … Curtis Thompson, 2025 [-]
270-3 … Breaux Greer, 2004 [1]
270-3 … Tom Pukstys, 1998 [1]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 