National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

File Photos (top to bottom): Coach Gorski teaches at the JavFest; Kate Schmidt, Duncan Atwood and Tom Pukstys at the JavFest roundtable; Katelyn Gochenour with Coach Kimmo at the 2013 Pihtipudas Jav Carnival; Sophia Rivera at the WYC; Liam Christensen at the WYC.

The school calendar has turned to 2015-16 and that means the start of another exciting season for the NSAF’s Project Javelin Gold.  The terms (among the) “nation’s best” and “world’s best” shouldn’t be thrown around carelessly, but it certainly applies to both the Project’s returning and in-coming student-athletes, as well as its coaching staff.  And when you give these athletes and coaches a chance to work together within a seasonal framework that includes a return to Finland for training and competition at the Pihtipudas Javelin Carnival next June – as well as the 2nd Annual American JavFest set again for next July – well, then you have a recipe for new levels of success.

The 2015-16 slate of clinics will commence with another trip to East Stroudsburg, PA, for the Fall Clinic, taking place this coming Thursday-Sunday, September 24-27.  The Project athletes trained here for the first time last fall and came back less than two months ago for the very successful American JavFest – the new NSAF event that debuted the last full weekend of July.  Given how that clinic and festival turned out, the small college town at the edge of the Poconos was an easy choice for another session.

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“East Stroudsburg has proven to be a great location for our javelin events,” said NSAF Executive Director Jim Spier.  “We've received nothing but great support from the local community.  It is in an area where the javelin is revered, so that certainly helps matters.”

It’s also the home of one of the Project’s esteemed coaches, Barry Krammes – still a national-class thrower himself who will be training for his third Olympic Trials in 2016.  Like last fall, when the Project came to his home base for that first visit, he will be joined this weekend by coaches Jeff Gorski from Chapel Hill – who led the launch of Javelin Gold in 2011 with the NSAF – Tom Pukstys from Chicago and Kimmo Kinnunen from Finland.  Of course, Coach Kinnunen leads the training for all of the Finland trips and it’s always a treat when he comes to the U.S.

For those on hand this weekend who were also here for the JavFest, there are very fond memories – even if they’re pretty recent.  Coach Krammes hosted us again for three great days of learning, fun and competition.  In addition to Coaches Gorski and Pukstys, we had honor of having Kate Schmidt and Duncan Atwood with us – two of the most outstanding figures in the history of the sport in the U.S.  Schmidt – a 2-time Olympic Bronze Medalist (1972-76) – and Atwood joined Gorski and Pukstys one night to lead everyone in a memorable round-table discussion.  And the two days of competition featured many of the outstanding prep and youth throwers in the country – including our NSAF Project Javelin standouts – as well as our national elites.  Those elites included Team USA’s Sean Furey and Riley Dolezal, who would represent the nation at August’s IAAF World Championships, as well as up-and-coming women’s star Ariana Ince – who is knocking at the door of 200 feet.

Registration is still open for this weekend’s clinic.  The location and dates for the winter clinic to follow will be announced in the weeks ahead.

But the other truly exciting announcement for Project Javelin Gold is the return to Finland and, specifically, another chance for our athletes to participate in an event unlike any other on the planet.  The Project last trained in Finland in 2014 and previously participated in Pihtiputaan Keihäskarnevaalit in 2013.  There was no Finland trip in 2015, but happily it was possible for 2016 to not only return to the country, but do at the time of the Carnival.

“We are excited to get back to Pihtipudas,” said Mr. Spier.  “It is a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for our kids to be in an environment where javelin throwers are ‘worshipped.’”

Among the athletes currently with the Project, Katelyn Gochenour alone will be able to relate the massive and all-encompassing love for the javelin that engulfs Pihtipudas.  In 2013, she climbed to the top of the award stand not just once, but twice – for 15-and-Under and 17-and-Under divisions – earned the terrific bounty of the Carnival’s Most Valuable Performer.  You can read more about the Carnival and the 2013 trip HERE and HERE.
 

The Returnees

The returnees to the 2015-16 Project include five outstanding seniors, all in their 3rd or 4th year here.  If you’ve followed the Project, they are very familiar to you (name, school, class, year in program, 2015 highlights):

• Sophia Rivera, Brentwood, MO senior, 3rd year – US#2 175-10 PR (#6 all-time) … 7th at World Youth Champs (166-10 w/500g jav) … won NBNO (157-2), World Youth Trials (169-3/500g), American JavFest (159-6), Great Southwest (152-1), Penn Relays (169-6), Kansas Relays (162-9) … 7th in USATF Senior jav … in the shot put, she took silver at WYC (58-10/3kg), as well as winning NBNO (53-1), NBNI (49-1), WYT (US Youth record 59-4.25), CSI (48-2.75) and GSW (51-1.75) … also 2nd in USATF Jrs (53-5.75) and 3rd at Pan Am Jrs (50-4).
• Katelyn Gochenour, Marian Catholic, NE senior, 4th year – US#4 167-2 PR (#15 all-time) … 11th at World Youth Champs ... won CSI (162-9) and top-4 finishes at World Youth Trials (2nd, 167-7/500g), NBNO (4th, 144-0), Great Southwest (2nd, 150-9), JavFest (2nd, 159-3) … had 4 meets between 157-2 and 167-2 (all college/open) to start the spring.
• Tairyn Montgomery, Redondo Union, CA senior, 3rd year – US#5 164-4 (168-1 PR from ’14, #13 all-time) … top-5 finishes at NBNO (2nd, 156-8), WYT (3rd, 162-0/500g), USATF Jrs (5th, 153-6) and JavFest (4th, 132-4/injured) … started season with wins at Arcadia Multis (157-2) and Mt. SAC (164-4).
• Emma Fitzgerald, Thayer Academy, MA senior, 3rd year – US#8 159-5 PR … took 3rd at USATF Juniors (157-0), just missing Pan-Am team … top-5 finishes at JavFest (3rd, 147-5), NBNO (5th, 143-4), Chicagoland (5th, 148-4) … also over 150 in winning ISTL meet (153-5).
• Grayson Hill, Cathedral Prep, PA senior, 3rd year – US#18 200-3 PR … earned 1st All-American honor with 4th at NBNO (193-6), then took 3rd at World Youth Trials (193-11/700g jav) … PR came during TSTCA victory … 8 other meets between 176-6 and 194-9 (5th JavFest).
   

The “modified” newcomers (joined Project during this past summer)

• Liam Christensen, Academic Magnet, SC junior, 1st year – US#5 209-5 PR … Invited to join Project after 224-4 victory (700g jav) at World Youth Trials … at WY champs, improved to 238-2, just missing final … then set 800g jav PR with runner-up finish at JavFest … previously 2nd at USATF JOs (204-11), 5th at NBNO (192-0), 1st at state JOs (194-10).
• Morgan Bower, Millville, PA junior, 1st year – 110-6 PR … Still learning the event, has shown strong potential in training for breakthrough … had five meets between 106-9 and 110-6 as a soph, with 4th in her District 4 meet (106-8) and 6th at Chicagoland (106-11).
   

The “True” Newcomers

• Meghan Owens, Mercer County, KY frosh, 1st year – 144-0 PR … Impressive string of victories to finish 8th-grade campaign included NBNO Emerging Elite (136-4), and Intermediate Divisions at USATF Youth (130-8), USATF JOs (144-0) and AAU JOs (139-6) … in the latter two won great showdowns against heralded Youth star from California, Charlotte Maher, who starred at JavFest.
• Roman Mitchell, SE Raleigh, NC soph, 1st year – 164-7 PR (193-1 with Jr High jav) … Caught Project’s attention with 193-1 throw to dominate Junior HS jav at NBNO … 5th with PR against more experienced preps with 800g jav at USATF JOs (Intermediate) … winner of several other Youth and JO meets in North Carolina.
   

2014-15 Season in Review

2015 was the best season yet for Project throwers.  You’ve read the athletes’ 2015 bios, but looked at from an event-by-event perspective is impressive in its own way.  The details speak for themselves:

• Sophia Rivera and Katelyn Gochenour finished 8th (166-10/500g jav) and 11th (150-6) at the World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia after qualifying 6th (171-3) and 8th (169-9) into the final – Sophia making IAAF history by becoming the first athlete at any level to contest two events (jav and shot put, where she won the Silver) simultaneously.
• Sophia (169-3/500g), Katelyn (167-7) and Tairyn Montgomery (162-0) finished 1-2-3 at the World Youth Trials in Lisle, Ill.
• Liam Christensen became a Project Javelin Gold thrower after winning the WY Trials (224-4/700g) on the boys’ side, then barely missed the World Youth finals after a 238-3 throw that is the best-ever by a U.S. athlete at the meet.
• Emma Fitzgerald was 3rd (157-0) and Project Javelin Gold alum Kristen Clark 4th (Tairyn 5th, Sophia 7th, Katelyn 9th) at the USATF Juniors in Eugene behind winner Gabrielle Kearney (162-8) – who trained with us in Finland last year. Gabrielle went on to take 4th (US#3 167-6) at Pan Am Juniors in Edmonton. Sophia was also 7th in the Senior jav.
• Sophia (157-2), Tairyn (156-8), Katelyn (144-0) and Emma (143-4) took 1-2-4-5 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, while Grayson Hill (193-6) earned his first All-American honor in 4th.
• At JavFest, Sophia (159-6) edged Katelyn (159-3) in the girls’ battle, while the boys’ event saw Liam PR in 2nd at 209-5 and Grayson hit 194-9 in 5th.
• Sophia (175-10), Katelyn (167-2), Tairyn (164-4) and Emma (159-5) finished 2-4-5-8 on the girls’ U.S. list for the year, with Sophia moving to #6 all-time. Sophia’s mark came during an epic week when she won the Kansas Relays (162-9) and Penn Relays (169-6), handing national-record setter Madison Wiltrout her only loss in the latter.  Sophia also won Great Southwest (152-1), while Katelyn won the Caribbean Scholastic Invite (162-9) in Cuba.
• Liam ranked #5 on the boys’ U.S. list with his 209-5 and Grayson was 18th at 200-3.
• Sophia was even more accomplished in her “other” event, the shot put, sweeping the NBN titles, topping the U.S. list both in and out, and winning Silver at World Youth and Bronze at Pan Am Juniors. She set a U.S. record for Youth with the 3kg shot at 59-4.25

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CHECK OUT THE DETAILS AND REGISTER FOR THIS WEEKEND'S FALL CLINIC