javelin this June.
Penn State is known as Linebacker U, and Southern Cal has earned the nickname Tailback U. But Javelin U?
Wichita State might have laid claim to that distinction after its impressive performance in the recently completed track and field season.
Senior Erica Evans, from El Dorado, Kan., and Kyle Becker, a senior from Derby, Kan., both won their second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championships in the javelin in mid-June in Carbondale, Ill.
Evans had little trouble, winning with a regional-qualifying mark of 144 feet, 2 inches. Becker, meanwhile, faced intense competition before successfully defending his title.
In addition, phenom Brett Trudo continued his fine freshman season by placing third, and WSU also received high finishes from Dane Stember (fourth), John Goldsmith (fifth) and Brayan Tapia (eighth). “We feel like we have a pretty good thing going with the javelin,” WSU throws coach John Hetzendorf says. There’s a modest understatement. This season’s javelin throwers might have formed the deepest group of athletes in any event in Shocker track and field history. “It’s definitely great to be around so many guys determined to do well,” Trudo says.
The javelin competition isn’t generally a high-profile event at track and field meets, but Becker provided one of the most dramatic moments at the MVC meet. Heading into his final throw, he was in third place — a fine finish for most, an unacceptable spot for the defending champ.
Becker responded with the best throw of his life at 222-1, the third-best distance in school history. On that winning throw, he was suffering from a torn meniscus in his knee and a broken rib. Javelin throwers, who endure a lot of pressure on their joints during the event, are a tough group. “It’s not really a natural movement, to throw the javelin, so it kind of takes its toll on your body,” Becker says. “If you’re a javelin thrower, and you haven’t had surgeries or you’re not hurt, you’re not trying hard enough.”
At regional competition in Lincoln, Neb., Trudo, who represents the future of javelin at WSU, placed third at 226-4, the second-best of his young career. Battling injury and competing with the help of a cortisone shot, Becker threw a career-best 225-1. Both throwers qualified for nationals.
