JavFest Results and Highlights: It’s Hostetler, Ince, Mitchell and Baker!

Jul 10, 2017 by Steve Underwood

FULL RESULTS of 2017 American JavFest (revised with Hostetler complete series and Girls Elite HS separated)

With thrilling efforts of 83.02m (272-4) and 83.12 (272-8), Cyrus Hostetler (Nike/Chula Vista, CA) exceeded the IAAF World Championships qualifying standard (83.00) and beat 2015 JavFest champ Riley Dolezal (Nike/Fargo, ND) at 81.07 (266-0). Nine of the top 10 throwers from the late June USATF meet came to ESHS looking for the standard, with Dolezal holding favorite status due to his triumph in Sacramento. He hit that 81.07 on his first attempt, but could not improve, while Hostetler took the lead for good several throwers later.
Hostetler made a point of energizing the crowd before he threw, then justified their cheers with the throw that earned his London ticket. When the mark was announced, he celebrated with yells, fist pumps and a joyful sprint down the right side of the sector, high-fiving fans and getting a hug from NSAF board member Tracy Sundlun. He got his winning mark on his 3rd throw -- the US leading mark for '17 and not far off his 275-0 PR from '16 that ranks #8 all-time U.S. -- then fouled and passed twice in the finals.
Recent Penn State grad Michael Shuey also energized the crowd with a big PR 79.91m (262-2) on his 2nd throw, improving on his PR from USAs. He was followed by Timothy VanLiew (78.05/256-1), McLean Lipschutz (76.96/252-6) and 2016 champ Curtis Thompson (75.94/249-2).

Ariana Ince (Houston, TX) threw a big PR 61.38m/201-4 on her 3rd throw -- her 1st career 200-footer, but an agonizing 2cm short of the IAAF World Champs qualifying standard of 61.40. She couldn't improve on that in the finals, but the good news was that she not only won the competition, but moved up high enough on the world list that she would make it into the World Champs field anyway.
Ince's mark moved her up to #5 on the all-time U.S. list and she became the 7th woman in American history to throw 200 feet or better. Ince -- the USATF runner-up to Kara Winger last month -- also won the '15 JavFest, as well as Iron Wood earlier this summer.
Rebecca Wales (Baton Rouge, LA) -- an LSU grad who was 3rd at USATFs and also chasing the standard -- threw 183-8 on her first attempt and finished 2nd. Lia Negra (Nutley, NJ) was 3rd at 154-3.

With a breakout 207-6 on his 4th throw, NSAF Project Jav thrower Roman Mitchell (SE Raleigh, NC jr) put behind him a tough injury-plagued year by getting a major win and improving his 2016 PR by 14 inches. Mitchell had struggled somewhat at #CSICuba17 and Iron Wood, his first two meets of the year, before throwing 199 feet and taking 6th at NBNO. Here he reached 195-0 on his 2nd attempt, then got the big one on his first throw of the finals.
Project Javelin's super trio of freshman took three of the next five spots. Sam Hankins (Manhattan HS, KS), who was invited to join the Project along with Dana Baker this weekend, was in the 190s all day and hit a 204-3 on his 5th attempt to take 2nd. It was less than two feet off his 205-11 PR that ranks him as prep history's #2 frosh. Meanwhile, Zechariah Blake (John Curtis HS, LA) PR'd three times, with a climactic 198-0 on his final attempt for 4th. Joe Nizich (Central Catholic HS, OR) got 182-4 for 6th on his 2nd throw, just 3 feet off his PR. Hankins, Blake and Nizich are the top 3 frosh in the nation.
Mitchell and the freshmen weren't the only impressive boys' performers, though. Ty Hampton (North Bend HS, OR junior) landed the jav at 201-3 on his final throw -- his 4th 200-foot meet in a row since his PR 208-9 to win the Oregon 4A title and good for 3rd place. And Chris Putnam, a frequent participant in Project events, finished off his senior year at Massapequa HS NY with a huge 194-8 PR that netted him 5th.

Dana Baker (Olathe North HS, KS jr) impressed Project Javelin so much at Iron Wood and NBNO (2nd in both) that she was invited to join this weekend. Her response Sunday was a PR 169-2, the best girls' prep major meet throw in the country this year (Madison Wiltrout threw 173-4 in a tri-meet). She also improved to #13 all-time U.S. The big mark came on her 2nd attempt and she also threw 166-5 on her 5th.
Project athletes also finished 2nd and 4th. Skylar Ciccolini (Mifflin Co. HS, PA soph), who set her PR 164-9 with her Iron Wood win and was 4th at NBNO, hit 162-6 on her 1st throw for the runner-up spot. Lillian Hill (North East HS, PA jr) reached 143-6 on her final attempt, within a foot of her PR, to take 4th. The rest of the top 6 included NBNO 3rd-place finisher Erin McMeniman (Dracut, MA jr), with a PR 148-11 on her final throw; Rachel Kern (Howell HS, NJ sr) at 139-3 and Gabbie D'Amore (Honedale HS, PA sr) with a near-PR 133-4 in 6th.

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(previously)

Here are the Day 1 Results from the 2017 American JavFest!

Here are the REVISED Start Lists (posted Sat. night) for Sunday's Elite Men, Elite Women and Elite High School Boys and Girls.

National Scholastic Athletics Foundation