EUGENE, Ore. – “JavU” will make its anticipated entrance to the World Athletics Championships when reigning world champion, Anderson Peters, and United States Olympian, Curtis Thompson, kick off day three for Mississippi State in the men’s javelin qualifying round Thursday evening at Hayward Field.
Thompson will throw in the first group, 7:05 p.m. CT, followed by Peters who will begin following the conclusion of Thompson’s flight. The automatic qualifying mark is set for 83.50m – close to 10 meters below Peters’ personal best and four meters below Thompson’s personal best. The 12 best throws will all advance to Saturday’s final.
The legendary Dawgs still hold the top two spots in MSU’s record books, Peters holding the record at 87.31 meters and Thompson only five meters behind at 82.88 meters.
During his time in Starkville, Peters pulled in SEC and NCAA javelin championships left and right, becoming the first Bulldog to go back-to-back at both competitions. For his efforts during the 2018 campaign, the Grenadian was awarded SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
Before Peters, though, there was Thompson. And it was Thompson who first paved the way for “JavU”, becoming the first NCAA champion in the event in program history. The only other national champion for MSU? Peters.
Winning gold isn’t uncommon among the pair, nor is the location of Thursday’s event a stranger. Both Peters and Thompson will look to add another medal to their name at the same place they each won a national championship, all those years ago in the Maroon and White – at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
During their time at State, both Olympians were led by associate head coach April Thomas. According to Thomas, Thursday’s competition is going to be “one for the books”.
“This field is stacked, but I am just so happy we have a couple of Bulldogs in the fight,” Thomas said.
As the leader of “JavU”, Thomas has played a key role in developing and coaching the Bulldog duo to where they are now. It was under her watchful eye, in 2019, that saw MSU become the first school since 1964 to sweep the men’s javelin podium at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the helm of the only program in NCAA history to have three men throw the javelin over 80 meters, the title “JavU” isn’t just a title, but a badge of…
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