DURHAM, N.C. (May 26, 2010) – Jack Iosue's ultimate goal is to qualify for the Olympics in the javelin. Hey, in order to accomplish that quest, Iosue must start with small steps. However, in his sophomore season as a member for the Kutztown University men's track and field team, Iosue took a major leap forward by winning the event during last week's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship meet. (CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE) / (CHAMPIONSHIP HOME)
“My goals coming into this season was to finish in the top three of the championships,” Iosue said. “Last year, I was happy to qualify for PSACs and finish in sixth place. This year when I won, I really couldn't believe I did it. The winning feeling took a few hours to sink in.”
In addition, to his gold medal in the event, Iosue will head to Charlotte, N.C., better known as the Queen City to test his mettle against the nation's elite in the 2010 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The meet will be held at the Irwin Belk Complex on the scenic and beautiful campus of Johnson C. Smith University. Iosue is one of three Kutztown men who will compete in the NCAA Championships this weekend.
Kori Meshaw (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) will participate in the 400-meter hurdles and Justin Germani (Birdsboro/Daniel Boone) will compete in the pole vault. Meshaw, who is seeded sixth in the second heat, will take the track Thursday evening at 8:25 p.m. His fastest time this season was 52.71 seconds achieved at Princeton on May 1. Germani and Iosue will get into action Saturday. Iosue will begin the javelin in the first flight starting at 10 a.m. Germani will finish the season for the Golden Bear men when he begins the pole vault at 5:45 p.m. Germani is seeded sixth in the pole vault with a clearance of 16 feet, 3.5 inches.
“I wanted to qualify provisionally for nationals coming into the year,” Iosue said. “Now that I am going to nationals, it's kind of crazy. All through the year, I didn't think about the numbers of how far I needed to throw to qualify for nationals. My approach has been to throw my best and whatever happens, happens. I think if I sat around and thought about what I threw, it would drive me crazy. Going to nationals wasn't in my mind until I was ranked10th in the event and that's when I realized that it was definitely a possibility.”
If Iosue keeps setting and surpassing his goals, then he could be throwing the javelin at the Olympics by the time he turns his tassle in 2012. Iosue had to wait until the outdoor season to toss the javelin because, for obvious reasons, it's not offered during the indoor season. Still, Iosue remained dedicated and focused, often practicing by himself, long after many of the other athletes have departed.
All of his hard work paid off at last weekend's PSAC championships when he delivered his best throw on his last toss of the event. When Iosue had the metal pointed stick in his hand, he trailed by eight centimeters. No problem. Displaying Michael Jordan-like clutch ability, Iosue unleashed the winning throw.
Iosue has been throwing most of his life. Whether it was temper tantrums as a youngster when he tossed objects around the house or a baseball he threw at close to 70 miles per hour until he had shoulder surgery. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Also, Iosue's mother, Ruth strongly encouraged him to find another activity.
“My mom told me that I find something to do because I can't sit around the house all spring,” Iosue said. “I tried to come back and play baseball after my surgery, but my heart wasn't in it. So my mom suggested that I try track. I chose javelin because it was the most light throwing there was.”
Iosue experienced immediate success. In his senior season in high school, Iosue's best toss was 197 feet. He surpassed that effort this season when he fired the javelin 200 feet, 3 inches at the East Stroudsburg All-American Invite meet on April 24. He has been through Charlotte in a car but has never stepped foot inside of North Carolina's largest city. Obviously that will change for Iosue when he gets off the airplane.
Iosue has a bright future ahead of him in the javelin. The professional writing major has a gold-medal winning personality and a strong work ethic. No matter what happens this weekend, Iosue will return with extra determination to excel next season and return back to the national championships. But since he's participating here this season, Iosue plans to savor every second of his experience. He hasn't set a goal for the event, but you can bet it's throwing the javelin a personal best and earning All-American status.
“It's a good feeling when you hit that throw and watch the javelin sail away,” Iosue said. “I like throwing the javelin and it's a lot of fun. I can't speak for all the other throwers, but many of us keep going because you want to hit that big throw and get that good feeling.”
--KU--
