RYAN HUNTING…
For some of you, this Title may seem unusual, or it may give you reason to believe that one (1) benefit of being a Javelin Thrower is that it makes Hunting with a Spear a more viable option for putting Food on the table. All of that is, I suspect, possible, but for Ryan Slingerland it is about Hunting Down the three (3) Javelin Records, a couple of which have stood for more than 15 years.
It was just the end of April (2022) that Ryan decided that he would like to learn how to Throw a Javelin. That was only three (3) months ago. At that point, he was as much a “newbie” as one could possibly be. He was Awkward with the Release, Uncomfortable with any sort of an Approach, and Struggled to hold the Javelin straight.
As I have preached for years, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect!”, it is ALWAYS the solution to better Performance! This Young Man couldn’t get enough Practice! He would show up before Practice to work on Javelin Drills, and remain after Practice to get in his Throws. It wasn’t very pretty, at first, and at times was SCARY to watch. But, at the President’s Open, he managed to get enough things right to throw an impressive 33.10m in his first competition as a Javelin Thrower. That was June 12th! Just one (1) month later, at the Liberty Games Track & Field Championships, he threw 37.41m, more than 4m further!
The Challenge for Athletes is their ability to put all of the pieces of the proverbial puzzle together when it is all on the line. At the National Track & Field Championships, on August 5th, Ryan launched a bit of a Missile, sending the Javelin 39.57m, just short of his 40m Goal. That toss moved him into 28th in the Nation! With 1st Place being 51m+, Ryan is HUNTING that down for 2023, thinking that GOLD is a Great Color to hang around his neck. He is also HUNTING down the Country Mills Eagles Record of 51.94m set by Anthony Mills Jr. in 2006!
Congratulations Ryan Slingerland on your ability to swallow and digest so much in such a short time! We look forward to Hunting Season, which for Javelin Throwers begins in September. 😊
