From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Senior Jacob Cobb from West Deptford was MIT’s 5^th man at the Wesleyan Cardinal Invitational Saturday in Middleton, Ct.

MIT, ranked 16^th nationally in NCAA Division 3, packed its five scorers in 22 seconds and won the team title 44-44 on a 6^th-man tiebreaker with host Wesleyan. MIT’s 6^th runner beat No. 20 Wesleyan’s by 24 seconds and finished 11 places ahead.

Cobb ran 25:05 over 8,000 meters at Long Lane Farm and placed 13^th of 100 finishers but only 28 seconds behind overall winner Dylan Cote, a Wesleyan sophomore.

Click to access wesfuhrman8kxccoursemap_men.pdf

Cobb, an 8:53.62 steeplechaser last spring, ran just three seconds off his 8,000 all-course PR of 25:02, set last November at the Division 3 Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., where he was MIT’s second finisher.

MIT’s top five Saturday ran between 24:43 and 25:05. MIT is ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division 3 East Region, behind Tufts.

Rutgers-Camden’s Jacob Dinerman from Haddon Township outraced TCNJ’s Brandon Chen to win the Osprey Open Saturday in Galloway Township.

Dinerman ran 25:07 on Stockton University’s 8,000-meter course, only 10 seconds off his all-course PR of 24:57 set last October at a meet at DREAM Park in Logan Township. There were over 160 starters in the race.

Dinerman, also the Haddon Township coach, edged Chen, the NJAC 5,000 runner-up last spring, by five meters. Chen finished 2^nd in 25:08.

Dinerman last year was the NJAC mile champion indoors and 1,500 champ outdoors.

TCNJ edged Moravian 35-44 to win the team title, with Rowan 3^rd with 75 points.

Moravian and Rowan were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in this week’s United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division 3 Metro Region poll, with TCNJ 5^th.

Rowan’s No. 1 runner was Haddon Heights graduate Colin Patterson, who placed 6^thin 25:16, and their No. 2 runner was Haddon Township’s Matthew Conway, who ran 25:27 for 9^th.

Rowan seniors Sean Hice from Washington Township, Scott Hubbard from Audubon and Anthony Faust from Bishop Eustace ran 19^th, 20^th and 21^st in 26:33, 26:34 and 26:47 and were the Profs’ 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th runners.

In the women’s race, Rowan junior Ally Wernik from Washington Township placed 7^th in 23:10 over 6,000 meters, helping the Profs win the team title, 43-65, over TCNJ. Rowan and TCNJ are ranked 2^nd and 3^rd in the Metro Region behind Swarthmore.

Stockton junior Maddy Valesek from Shawnee took 11^th in 23:38 and TCNJ senior Savannah Hodgens of Mainland Regional was 15^th in 23:47.

Also, Stockton sophomore Paige McCabe from Moorestown finished 31^st, TCNJ sophomore Taylor Rooney from Egg Harbor Township was 32^nd, Jefferson’s 6^thrunner was freshman Kylee Black of Vineland, who placed 33^rd, Stockton freshman Madison Pratt from Absegami took 34^th and Stockton junior Sarah Rutledge from Egg Harbor placed 37^th.

Overall winner was Rowan’s Gabriella Pagano from Pope John XXIII in Sparta, who ran 22:26.

There were over 150 runners in the women’s race.

Clearview’s Abby Waddington ran a huge 6,000-meter all-course PR Saturday morning when she placed 2^nd out of nearly 300 runners at the UMass Dartmouth Corsair Invitational.

Waddington, a junior at Boston University, ran 21:15 on Dartmouth’s course in Hanover, N.H.

Her previous 6,000 PR was a 21:47 in November2023 at NCAA Northeast Regionals at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Waddington took 2^nd to Brown senior Nimrit Ahuja, who ran 21:03.

East Stroudsburg’s 1^st finisher was junior Payton Falkenstein from Burlington Township High School, who placed 14^th overall in 21:53.

Terrific college debut Friday for Villanova freshman Maeve Smith from Ocean City at the Main Line Invitational at Haverford.

In her 1^st race as a Wildcat, Smith placed 10^th out of nearly 100 runners in 18:16 and was Villanova’s 5^th finisher.

This was Smith’s 1^st race since she ran a 4:53.27 full mile [equivalent of 4:51.57 for 1,600 meters] at West Philly Nationals on June 21, 10^th-fastest in South Jersey.

Smith also ran 10:32.54 slast spring, also 10^th-fastest in South Jersey history. She ran 17:08.01 for 5,000 meters, 4^th-fastest in South Jersey history and 12^th-fastest in state history. She’s the only girl from South Jersey [and one of only four from New Jersey] to run that fast for all three races.

Villanova won the team title 38-41 over Penn.

Next for Villanova is the Paul Short Run on Lehigh’s 6,000-meter course in Bethlehem and partially in Lower Saucon Township.

Villanova is ranked 6^th in the most recent USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region poll and 2^nd among Big East schools. The USTFCCCA is the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Sterling graduate Cara Coppolino, a sophomore at La Salle, placed 25^th in 19:12 and was the Explorers’ 3^rd finisher.

Lehigh’s 3^rd finisher in the men’s race was Derek Coceano, a junior from Cinnaminson. He placed 40^th overall in 20:53 over four miles.

Williamstown seniors Dominic Burgio and Logan Pavelik were the top South Jersey placers Friday afternoon at the Osprey High School Invitational in Galloway Township.

Burgio covered the flat, fast 5,000-meter Stockton University course in 15:56 and Pavelik ran 16:07.

Gavin Oliver of Donovan Catholic in Toms River ran 15:44.56, just off the course record of 15:39.71 set at the 2021 Cape Atlantic Championships by Mainland’s Linden Wineland.

Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Washington Township sophomore Trevor Szilier [5^thin 16:15], Cherry Hill West senior Rex Takakjy [6^th in 16:23], Cherokee junior Gavin Danielewicz [8^th in 16:32] and Eastern junior Timothy Shack [10^th in 16:38].

Also under 17 minutes: Egg Harbor senior Matthew Reed [11^th, 16:40], Cherokee junior Leo Vyvyan [13^th, 16:44], Egg Harbor sophomore Liam Aspenberg [14^th, 16:45], Woodstown senior Karson Chew [17^th, 16:49] and Egg Harbor junior Daniel Svec [18^th, 16:50].

Curtis Thompson bombed that 284-4 on his first throw at the World Championships and that put the rest of the field in chase mode.

And when it began raining halfway through the competition, that made chose mode miuch more difficult.

Thompson’s 284-4 hung on for third place, a bronze medal and made the 2014 Florence graduate the first American in 18 years to reach the podium at an international championship meet.

As the conditions grew worse, Thompson’s 284-4 had a better and better chance to hold up for third. Nobody in the field had their best throw in the 5^th or 6^th round.

“It did feel like, man, that’s gonna maybe help me a little bit with these guys chasing me,” Thompson said in an interview that appears on RunnersPace.

“I got a little excited because I looked up and I was like, it feels like a day in practice throwing in the rain, trying to figure out where the lightning’s hitting to make sure I either go inside or don’t. But it’s all part of sports.”

Thompson generally hasn’t had his best throws on his first attempts. His previous best 1^st throw was a 274-11 in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2022.

“I expected 90 [meters, 295-3] to take the medal,” he said. “So expectations are really high to try and get a medal. So was I satisfied with that (first throw)? Of course. It was a great start.”

Thompson is only the third American ever to medal at Worlds and the first since Breaux Greer took 3^rd in 2007. His 284-4 is the 2^nd-best throw ever by an American at the World Championships.

“It means the world,” Thompson said in an interview on the athletics web site of his alma mater, Mississippi State. “I’m extremely happy to have been able to throw well and bring home the world bronze.

“I was not the favorite, but I always believed in myself. I always try to win, no matter what, no matter who’s there. I came here to get a medal, and I made it. I had ups and downs during my preparation, but I kept trusting the process and I knew I was ready for this moment.”

Thompson had thrown 275 feet just twice before this year, a 276-4 in the Bahamas in August 2022 and 287-9 in East Stroudsburg in July 2022. He surpassed 275 feet eight times this year, including three times in Tokyo – 277-11 in Tuesday’s qualifying and a 279-10 on his 3^rd throw Wednesday.

Thompson had 10 of the 14-best throws by an American this year and now owns three of the top 11 throws ever by Americans.

“For the past, I don’t know how many years, every meet I go into, I expect to try and get a medal, no matter who’s there,” he said. “And to be able to execute this year, very, very happy with the way we put together, me and my team, put everything together.”

Worlds capped a remarkable year for Thompson, who won his 5^th U.S. title and had six of the eight-best throws of his life,

“We changed a couple of things technically, focused on consistency, to be able to be confident in what we’re doing in training, so that when we get into a meet, we don’t have to think or second guess what we’re doing,” he said. “So it just became second nature.”

The list of Americans who’ve medaled either in a World Championships or Olympics is very short.

Eugene Oberst won bronze at the 1924 Paris Olympics, with the javelin actually held in nearby Colombes, Cy Young Jr. won gold at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Tom Petranoff won silver at the 1983 Worlds, also in Helsinki, and Greer was 3^rd in 2007 in Osaka.

Thompson is trying to single-handedly jumpstart American javelin throwing.

“It means a lot,” he said of being the first U.S. international medalist in 18 years. “I’m hoping this continues to change the kind of standard that’s here in the U.S. for javelin. I’m excited for the future of U.S. javelin because this is just going to continue to grow over the years.”

This was Thompson’s final meet until next spring and if anything is going to get him a sponsor it’s getting to the podium at a major international championship meet.

“Hopefully this changes something,” he said. “But either way, continue to do what we’re doing and make it happen.

“I just know we’ll continue to focus on what we need to focus on to be able to continue to improve and maintain a certain standard or level of consistency that we’ve built over the past few years.”

Curtis Thompson etched his name among the greatest javelin throwers in U.S. hsitory Thursday morning in Tokyo when he became just the 3^rd American ever to medal in the javelin at the World Championships.

Thompson threw 284-4 on his 1^st attempt and that held up for third place behind an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time Worlds gold medalist.

Thompson, a 2014 Florence graduate, equalled the 2^nd-highest podium finish ever by an American. In 1983, Tom Petranoff placed 2^nd in Helsinki with a 280-11 throw. And in 2007, Breaux Greer placed 3^rdin Osaka with a 284-8. The only other American ever to place in the javelin in an international championship meet was 1952 Olympic gold medalist Cy Young Jr.

It was the 4^th-best throw of his life and his best throw ever in a championship meet.

Thompson, a five-time U.S. champion, clinched a podium finish when Julius Yego of Kenya, the final thrower outside the top three, fouled on his 6^th attempt.

Thompson’s 284-5 is the 2^nd-best throw ever by an American at Worlds. In 2001, Greer threw 285-5 when he placed 4^th in Edmonton, Alberta.

Thompson added a 279-10 on his 3^rd throw after hitting 277-11 Wednesday in qualifying. So this trip to Tokyo produced three of the seven-best throws of his life. They’re his three-best throws ever in an international championship event. Thompson fouled on his 4^th and 5^th attempts.

Thompson is a five-time U.S. champion and is 3^rd in U.S. history with his PR 287-11. Seven of his eight-farthest lifetime throws have come since March.

With that 277-11 on Wednesday, Thompson became one of 12 finalists who advanced to Thursday. It was his 1^st international final after falling short at the 2021 Olympics – also at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo – 2023 Worlds in Budapest and the Paris Olympics last summer.

He was the first American to reach the finals at Worlds since 2009, when Sean Furey placed 12th

Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago won the competition with a 288-1 on his 2^nd throw. Anderson Peters of Grenada, Thompson’s teammate at Mississippi State, placed 2^nd with a 286-8 on his 2^nd throw.

Thompson’s 284-4 is his best throw ever on his 1^st attempt of any competition. His previous best 1^stthrow was a 274-11 at Athletissima at La Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland, in August 2022.

He hit 266-11 on his 2^nd attempt before throwing 279-10 on his 3^rd. That’s his 6^th-best throw ever. He fouled on his last three attempts.

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]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
284-4 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [1^st throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3rd throw]
279-10 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [3^rd throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2nd 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]
275-2 … USATC Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4th throw]
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 [1st throw]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [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]

Curtis Thompson, a 2014 Florence High School graduate and five-time U.S. javelin hampion, bombed a 277-11 to automatically advance to the finals of the javelin at the World Championships in Tokyo Wednesday.

That’s the 5th-best throw of his life and his best ever in an international championship meet.

The top 12 throwers of 36 qualifiers competing in two groups advance to Thursday’s finals, but anybody hitting 84.50 meters – 272-2 – automatically advanced.

Thompson did that on his second attempt in the qualifying round, and that meant he didn’t need to take his 3rd attempt.

The final is scheduled for 6:23 a.m. EST Thursday back at Tokyo National Stadium.

Overall, Thompson had the 7th-best throw, although throws in the qualifying rounds don’t carry over to the final. He was one of seven auto qualifiers.

Only one American has ever thrown farther in the World Championships since the advent of the new javelin in 1986 (also back to the initial Worlds in 1983). That was Breaux Greer, who threw 285-5 when he placed 4th at the 2001 meet in Edmonton, Alberta, and 287-11 when he won in 2007 in Osaka, Japan.

Thompson is only the second American to reach two World Championships javelin finals. Greer was a finalist in 2001 and 2007.

Thompson has thrown at least 275 feet in each of his last three meets – 275-2 to win the U.S. Championships in Eugene on July 31, 286-2 and 282-8 to win the NACAC Championships in Freeport, the Bahamas, on Aug. 17 and 20 and 277-11 on Wednesday. He had only thrown 275 in two meets before this summer.

Thompson, a two-time Olympian and five-time U.S. champion, placed 11th in the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore., with a throw of 257-2..

Thompson opened with a 255-9 before popping his eighth lifetime throw of at least 275 feet. Six of his eight-best lifetime throws have come since March.

Thompson’s 287-11 from the Texas Relays in March is No. 3 in U.S. history behind Breaux Greer [299-6 in Indianapolis in 2007] and Tom Petranoff [292-6 in Potchefstroom, Russia, in 1991] and No. 4 in the world this year.

Three throwers in Group A and four in Group B hit the auto standard. Twelfth place – the cutoff to advance – was 271-7

The other American, former Penn athlete Marc Anthony Minichello placed 18th overall with a 264-0, missing the cutoff by about 7 ½ feet. Minichello attended Wyoming High School in Exeter, Pa., near Scranton.

Thompson ia ruw only American since Sean Furey in 2009 to reach a World Championships javelin final, and he’s reached two.

Thompson has nine of the 13-best throws by Americans this year. Minichello has three of the other four.

Anderson Peters of Grenada, a two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist – and Thompson’s teammate at Mississippi State – led all qualifiers into Thursday’s final with a throw of 293-8.

Since 1983, when all international championship meets went to a 12-athlete final, only five other throwers have reached the World Championships final and only two others have reached two finals.

Here’s a look at every U.S. man who has reached a World Championships javelin final in meet history:
1983 [Helsinki]
Tom Petranoff, 280-10 [2^nd] (threw 281-1 in qualifying)
1987 [Rome]
Tom Petranoff, 4^th [266-8]
Duncan Atwood, 12^th [237-11] (threw 258-11 in qualifying)
1991 [Tokyo]
None
1993 [Stuttgart]
Tom Pukstys, 9^th [255-7] (threw 261-11 in qualifying)
1995 [Gothebburg]
None
1997 [Athens]
None
1999 [Seville]
None
2001 [Edmonton]
Breaux Greer, 4^th [285-5]
2003 [[Paris]
None
2005 [Helsinki]
None
2007 [Osaka]
Breaux Greer, 3^rd [284-8] (threw 282-10 in qualifying)
2009 [Berlin]
Sean Furey, 12^th [244-5] (threw 260-1 in qualifying)
2011 [Daegu]
2013 [Moscow]
2015 [Beijing]
2017 [London]
2019 [Doha]
None
2022
Curtis Thompson, 11^th [257-2] (threw 268-1 in qualifying)
2023 [Bueapest]
None
2025 [okyo]
Curtis Thompson

Qualifiers to final
293-8 … Anderson Peters [Grenada]
286-1 … Julian Weber [Germany]
282-0 … Julius Yego [Kenya]
281-0 … Dawid Wegner [Poland]
279-9  … Arshad Nadeem [Pakistan]
279-4 … Neeraj Chopra [India]
277-11 … Curtis Thompson [Florence Flashes]
275-11 … Jakub Vadlejch [Czech Republic]
275-4 … Keshorn Walcott [Trinidad and Tobago]
274-6 … Sachin Yadav [Indonesia]
272-4 … Cameron McIntyre [Australia]
271-7 … Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage [Sri Lanka]

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]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2nd throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3rd throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2nd 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]
275-2 … USATC Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4th throw]
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 [1st throw]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [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]

Eastern senior Natalie Dumas, who turned in maybe the greatest triple in high school history in June, raced Tuesday for the first time since U.S. Nationals and in an Olympic Conference batch meet at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

It wasn’t an all-out effort for Dumas, who is the only woman in the history of the world to run 51.14 for 400 meters, 2:00.11 for 800 meters and 55.99 in the intermediate hurdles. She won all three at West Philly Nationals and set state records in the 400 and 800 and also led Eastern to 2nd place in the sprint medley with the 12th-fastest time in U.S. history.

On Tuesday, Dumas ran with junior teammate Theresa Albertson well back in the pack, with both running 22:52 over the 5,000-meter course. Albertson has run 18:24 and 18:34 at DREAM Park and Dumas has a 5,000 PR of 18:49 set at DREAM Park.

They placed 3rd and 4th last fall at South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals. So they both ran close to 4 ½ minutes slower than they have on the same course. Dumas went on to run 20:26 last fall on the challenging Holmdel County Park course.

Although it wasn’t a full effort by Dumas, it’s just great to see her out racing again after a historic – and very long – spring season that culminated when she raced the 800 at the USA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., six weeks ago.

Cherokee swept the top three spots with seniors Madeline Meder, Alyssa Suriano and Sofia Recinto running 20:19, 20:22 and 20:23. On Saturday, they were part of the Cherokee team that won the RCA Relays in Virginia.

At West Philly Nationals, Dumas ran the 6th-fastest time in U.S. high school history in the intermediates, the 5th-fastest time in the 800 and the 6th-fastest time in the 400.

Next for the Eastern girls is the Osprey Invitational at Stockton University in Galloway Township on Friday.

Here’s the top in the batch race after Meder, Suriano and Recinto: Lenape junior Audrey McCorkle [4th, 20:25], Cherokee sophomore Erin Healy [5th, 20:33], Cherokee senior Maya Kumar [6th, 20:56], Seneca junior Jaden Elberman [7,th, 21:23], Seneca junior Abigail Connolly [8th, 21:47]], Rancocas Valley senior Mary Casano [9th, 22:21] and Lenape junior Elizabeth Sunlitis [10th, 22:26].

Team scoring wasn’t kept, but Cherokee would have won 17-65 over Lenape.