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Former American record-holders and outstanding coaches.  Olympic Trials finalists and rising young stars.  A place where aficionados can train and compete while enjoying a weekend among others also completely devoted to their beloved discipline. 

It’s the NSAF’s 2nd Annual American JavFest at East Stroudsburg South High School in northeastern Pennsylvania, next to the beautiful Pocono Mountains, and javelin lovers from near and far will enjoy immersion in their passion for two days of training, roundtable discussion and competition.  As he did last year, Barry Krammes – the resident NSAF Project Javelin and high school coach, and elite thrower himself – has done a terrific job organizing the event.

Last year, a big highlight of this event was the roundtable discussion, and the same should hold true this year.  That will be led by former Olympians and American record-setters Tom Pukstys and Duncan Atwood, as well as Krammes – all of whom will also be coaching young athletes during the javelin school sessions earlier Saturday. 

Coach Pukstys was a 1992 and ’96 Olympian, and broke the American record multiple times between 1993-97.  He won six U.S. titles and represented Team USA six times in the IAAF World Champs, ranking in the top 10 in the world (T&F News) four times.  He has worked with the NSAF’s Project Javelin Gold for three-plus years and joined the crew on its trip to Pihtipudas this summer.  Coach Atwood has worked with the Project since he came to JavFest last summer.  He’s a two-time Olympian (1980, finalist in 1984), two-time Pan American Games champion (1979, 1987), 1987 World Championships finalist and former American record-holder – hitting 306-7 with the “old” javelin.

The JavFest this weekend is missing, however, its co-founder and Project Javelin Gold co-founder Jeff Gorski, who is at home in North Carolina, having been recovering from cancer treatments and related complications.  The “temporarily fallen warrior” will indeed be missed this weekend – and thought of fondly.  “He embodies the spirit of the JavFest,” said Krammes.  “People need to know how much this is about him and his passion.”

The elite field for Sunday’s competition has taken shape in just the past few weeks since the Olympic Trials and it’s looking good, according to Krammes – a one-time 259-footer who was 6th at the Olympic Trials in 2008 and is celebrating his competitive “retirement” with a half-dozen final heaves this weekend.

“I think elite athletes are realizing it’s a good place to throw,” said Krammes.  “It’s a good alternative to going to Europe.  Usually, after the Olympic Trials, there’s not many opportunities for elite athletes to compete here.  And now the qualifying window has opened for next year’s World Championships, so athletes can shoot for that, too.”

The elites include six athletes who competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene three weeks ago:

• Curtis Thompson, Mississippi State – 2nd in Trials final (missed Rio standard), NCAA and NACAC U23 champ, 5th ’15 JavFest, 271-11 PR … as a Florence, NJ senior in ’14 was 3rd at NBNO, then USA Junior and Chicagoland champ.
• Robert Robbins, Cornell – 6th in Trials final, 8th NCAAs, 248-11 PR … as a Northeast Bradford, PA senior in ’11 was 3rd at NBNO and had a PR of 221-6.
• Tim VanLiew, adidas Garden State TC – 7th in Trials final, 2nd ’15 JavFest, 261-3 PR … 2-time NCAA D-III champ while at Rutgers-Camden … Deptford, NJ grad (’08) who only took up jav senior year (181 feet).
• Chris Carper, Unattatched – 10th in Trials final, 3rd ’15 JavFest, 256-2 PR … 4th in NCAAs as Robert Morris senior in ’14 … 5th at NBNO in ’10 as Altoona Area, PA senior.
• Tom Masterson, Javelin USA – 13th in Trials qualifying, 7th ’15 JavFest, 239-5 PR … 6th NCAA D-III in ’12.
• Kim Hamilton, Nike – 6th in Trials final, 193-8 PR (#10 all-time US) … was a high school, college (Kent State) and pro standout in softball before beginning to seriously compete in javelin in ’09, when she was 5th at NCAAs as a grad student.  Took 3rd in ’12 Olympic Trials, but missed standard.
• John Krzyszkowski, Marquette/CAN – 3rd Canadian Trials (missed Rio standard), 8th NACAC U23, 229-9 PR.

Top boys’ prep entries include:

• Jacob Strickler, Selinsgrove, PA ’16 – 3rd AAA state, 9th NBNO
• Adam Sadowski, Donovan Catholic, NJ ’16 – 2nd Meet of Champs, 21st NBNO
• Gavin Darcy, Dunmore, PA ’18 – 10th AA state, DNS NBNO
• Eric Garner, Warwick, PA ’17 – 9th AAA state, 15th NBNO

And for the girls’

• Cambrie Campbell, Moniteau, PA ’18 – 3rd AA state, 12th NBNO
• Lillian Hill, North East, PA ’18 – 135-5 PR, 11th AA state, 13th NBNO
• Taryn Ashby, Pittston Area, PA ’17 – 135-0 PR, 9th AAA state, 22nd NBNO

Krammes is also very grateful for his sponsors, which include Mountain Valley Orthopedics, Memento Restaurant, Rudy's Tavern, Ash Resources, Second Wind Fitness and Giacalone Chiropractic Movement Centers.  “Mountain Valley Orthopedics really helped us get some of the elite athletes in here,” he said.  “We have big goals for this event.  We were a little late to the game this year, partly because I was trying to qualify for the Trials myself.  But one of our goals is to get a big, local committee going for this event and to increase our ability to fund elite athletes to get here.”