Sam Crouser throws javelin 255-4, breaks his own national record

Story by Lev Rourke
Photos: Rick Russell / Kim Spir

 

 PORTLAND – Sam Crouser, after taking two weeks off since the state meet, threw the javelin an astonishing 255-4 Saturday evening at the low-key Portland ThRose Festival meet at the Wilkins Center, to break the national high school record by more than 10 feet.

 

Crouser, the recent graduate of Gresham High School and a signee by the University of Oregon, broke his own record of 244-2, set in the spring. The previous record had been 241-11, set in 1988. It also established a new record for American Juniors (under age 20). Crouser is 18.

Crouser’s series was 231-7, 243-3, 227-0, 237-10, 255-4, foul.
It was also of course a new all-time Oregon high school record for the event. Crouser set the Oregon record in the discus earlier this season, 205-10, breaking his cousin Ryan’s record.
In Saturday’s meet, another Oregon all-time mark was also established by Greg Skipper, who threw the hammer 223-8, breaking his own mark of 216-8 from earlier this season. Skipper is a junior at Oregon City. He actually broke the record twice, first throwing 222-9, then 223-8. (Greg is shown throwing the shot put at the Oregon 4A5A6A State meet.)
Crouser’s throw, recorded on the same day as the NCAA Division I Championships were concluding 100 miles south in Eugene, ironically was farther than the winning throw in that meet. The Oregon Ducks, Crouser’s future team, would have won the men’s team championship had they won the javelin.

As it was, they had the pre-meet favorite in the event, Cyrus Hostetler, but Hostetler failed to score. High school and college athletes throw the same implement. The winning throw in the NCAA meet was 250-1 by Craig Kinsley of Brown University.
Also on Saturday, Crouser’s younger sister, Haley, threw 150-2 in the javelin.
Jon Lawson, the junior at Prairie HS in Washington, won the shot put at 56-2 and was 2nd in the hammer at 208-7.
In the women’s Open discus, several leading college athletes competed. Jere Summer of the University of Louisville threw 188-1, just off her lifetime best, defeating Simone du Toit, a South African at SMU, 180-7; Kelechi Anyanwu, 177-3, and Alyssa Hasslen, freshman at Arizona from McMinnville, 161-4.


Results:

2010 Portland ThRose Festival, June 12, Concordia University Throw Center
Shot put
W Open
Alyssa Hasslen U Arizona 1508 49-5.75
HSG
Johna McEllrath Prairie, Brush Prairie Wa 1174 38-6.25
Alexa Evans West Hills, Santee Cal 1096 35-11.5
Holly Martz Wilsonville Ore 1095 35-11.25
Hartly Carlisle Laverne, Okla 1081 35-5.75
Savannah Sharp 1046 34-4
Jenny Carmichael Holland Hall, Tulsa Ok 1003 32-11
Heather Martz Wilsonville Ore 820 26-11
Youth Girls
Megan Traeger Mark Twain MS, Silverton 1032 33-10.25
Elyse Cuthbertson Sherwood 947 31-1
Tess Newberry Sherwood 752 24-8.25
M Open
Greg Cruise 1343 44-0.75
HSB
Jon Lawson Prairie, Brush Prairie Wa 1712 56-2
Joe Cruise McKay, Salem 1225 40-2.25
Ian Welsh Wilsonville Ore 1169 38-4.25
Kyle White Centralia Wash 1099 36-0.75
Masters Men
Neil Saling 1086 35-7.75
Lou Kaczenski 1021 33-6
Wayne Sabin 954 31-3.75
 Hammer I
Open women
Caressa Sims 6096 200-0
Open men
Micah Hegerle 6075 199-3
Cole Knuth 5046 165-7
Anthony Lantz 4996 163-11
HSB
Greg Skipper Oregon City 6791 222-9 Ore all-time record
Jon Lawson 6359 208-7
Hammer II
Open women
Caressa Sims 6129 201-1
Kimery Hern 6108 200-5
HSB
Greg Skipper 6817 223-8 Ore all-time record
Masters Men
Wayne Sabin 83-1.5
Youth Boys
Hap Frketich 54-1.5
Discus
Open Women
Jere Summers U. Louisville 5732 188-1
Simone du Toit SMU/South Africa 5505 180-7
Kelechi Anyanwu 5404 177-3
Alyssa Hasslen 4919 161-4
HSG
Alexa Evans 4509 147-11
Sarah Tolson Pawhuska Okla 4334 142-2
Hartly Carlisle 4143 135-11
Jenny Carmichael 4007 131-5
McKenzie Warren Sandy Ore 3922 128-8
Johna McEllrath 3635 119-3
Emily Hamilton Newberg MS 3181 104-4
Savannah Sharp 2481 81-4.75
Youth Girls
Tess Newberry 2380 78-1
Elyse Cuthbertson 2326 76-3.75
Open men
Micah Hegerle 5176 169-10
Cole Knuth 4847 159-0
Greg Cruise 3684 120-10
HSB
Joe Cruise 4115 135-0
Jon Lawson 3762 123-5
Ian Welsh 3645 119-7
Kyle White 3391 111-3
Youth Boys
Hector Solis 2818 92-5
Hap Frketich 2518 82-7
Jared Hawk 1416 46-5.5
Masters Men
Jef Wood age 39 4230 138-9
John King 71 3756 123-2
Neil Saling 74 3636 119-3
Lou Kaczenski 3059 100-4
Wayne Sabin 77 3052 100-1
Javelin
HSG
Haley Crouser Gresham 4579 150-2
Johna McEllrath 3650 119-9
Emily Hamilton 3579 117-5
Youth Girls
Elyse Cuthbertson 2640 86-7
Tess Newberry 2233 73-3.25
Open men
Ryan Brandel 6253 205-2
Tim Urista 6155 201-11
Ethan Powell 5712 187-5
HSB
Sam Crouser Gresham 7784 255-4 HSR, AJR
Series: 7060 7415 6919 7251 7784 F
Selmar Hutchins III Roseburg 5700 187-0
Bobby Waldie Damascus Christian 4730 155-2
Youth boys
Hap Frketich 2914 95-7
Hector Solis 2248 91-10
Max Matti 2091 75-10.25
Jared Hawk 2051 67-3.5
Masters Men
Lou Kaczenski 3861 126-8