DOZENS OF THROWS came and went and they all had one thing in common: they weren’t as far as Capers Williamson’s best of the day. Until things played out about as dramatically as they could have, with a last-chance win by Curtis Thompson.
The favored Thompson was first in the throwing order and stuck his spear at a nothing-to-write-home-about 242-1 (73.78). Williamson, seeded No. 3 on our formchart, opened up with a modest 245-6 (74.83) as the sixth thrower of the day. That put him in the lead. Tim Glover’s 243-5 (74.20) slipped him in ahead of Thompson.
All three of them improved in the second round, leaving the order as Williamson (258-10/78.91), Glover (247-1/75.32), Thompson (244-3/74.44).
Glover inched out to 249-6 (76.04) in the third stanza, but the top-3 order didn’t change. Nor did it in the fourth, although Thompson improved to 248-9 (75.83).
A new face appeared in the fifth go-round, Marc Minichello adding some 20ft to his best on the day, moving from 7th to 2nd with his 256-1 (78.07). Thompson quickly put paid to that assault, however, claiming the runner-up spot at 256-7 (78.20).
There had been 63 throws with Williamson in the lead when Thompson stepped up as the antepenultimate thrower for his final toss… 265-6 (80.92), the farthest U.S. throw of the year. Glover’s 242-0 (73.77) wasn’t an improvement and when Williamson fouled Thompson had title No. 3.
Said the 27-year-old Mississippi State alum, 11th in last year’s WC, “It’s definitely a good builder, getting ready for the Worlds. I mentally just wanted to come into this and relax, go after it, just throw and have fun and I was able to do that.”
MEN’S JAVELIN RESULTS
(July 08)
1. Curtis Thompson (TSB) 265-6 (80.92) (AL)
(242-1, 244-3, 244-4, 248-9, 256-7, 265-6) (73.78, 74.44, 74.47, 75.83, 78.20, 80.92);
2. Capers Williamson (unat) 258-10 (78.91)
(245-6, 258-10, f, 237-8, f, f) (74.83, 78.91, f, 72.44, f, f);
3. Marc Minichello (Ga) 256-1 (78.07)
(216-8, 235-1, 236-6, 224-7, 256-1, 231-10) (66.05, 71.66, 72.09, 68.47, 78.07, 70.66);
4. Tim Glover (Vel) 249-6 (76.04)
(243-5, 247-1, 249-6, f, f, 242-0) (74.20, 75.32, 76.04, f, f, 73.77);
5. Ethan Shalaway (unat) 241-9 (73.69)
(241-0, 231-0, f, 241-9, f, f) (73.46, 70.42, f, 73.69, f, f);
6. John Keenan (NDm) 241-7 (73.65)
(212-10, 241-7, f, f, p, p) (64.87, 73.65, f, f, p, p);
7. Chandler Ault (Wa) 237-1 (72.26)
(236-0, f, 237-1, 230-0, 236-6, 236-2) (71.93, f, 72.26, 70.11, 72.08, 71.98);
8. Michael Shuey (VelNYAC) 235-0 (71.64)
(f, 235-0, f, f, f, 220-3) (f, 71.64, f, f, f, 67.14);
9. Cameron Bates (BYU) 230-2 (70.17); 10. Sam Hardin (unat) 227-1 (69.23); 11. Braden Presser (Navy) 226-1 (68.93); 12. Lucas Frost (RI) 220-6 (67.22); 13. Jackson Morris (CoSt) 218-4 (66.54); 14. Ethan Dabbs (Va) 217-1 (66.18); 15. Jacob Moran (BosNTC) 209-6 (63.86); 16. Tzuriel Pedigo (LSU) 194-2 (59.18).