Pitcavage Launches US#1, Meet Record To Become No. 7 All-Time In High School Boys Competition

By Oliver Hinson

Photos by John Nepolitan

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS/VIDEOS

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Curtis Thompson made his mark yet again at the American JavFest, winning his fourth title at the javelin-only meet at East Stroudsburg High on Saturday.

Thompson, the 2025 World Championships bronze medalist in the javelin, uncorked an 84.13-meter throw (276-0) to win the men’s elite division by over 10 feet. That mark was just shy of his season’s best of 85.99 meters, which ranks him fourth in the world.

The Olympian has competed at almost every JavFest since the meet was founded in 2015, even as he’s reached the highest level of the sport. He set the meet record with 287-9 in 2022. 

“If you’re an American javelin thrower or a javelin thrower anywhere close (to the United States), this is the meet to come to,” Thompson said.

The JavFest is the largest javelin throwing event in the United States and one of the more unique competitions in the sport. It is not alone, though — Ryan Crouser’s World Shot Put Series is another throws-only meet — and Thompson said he loves seeing these kinds of competitions pop up.

“It’s huge to see the sport actually grow in many different avenues… whether it be competitions, whether it be support, whether it be big, ranked meets,” Thompson said.

Thompson is doing what he can to push that growth. He is the third-best javelin thrower in U,S, history with a personal best of 87.76 meters, and he’s been on a tear this year, earning wins at the Drake Relays, Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational and USATF Lone Star Grand Prix. 

In two weeks, he’ll look to win his sixth national title at the USATF Outdoor Championships in New York City.

Madison Wiltrout Breaks Through on Fifth Attempt

With two attempts remaining in the women’s elite javelin throw, Madison Wiltrout trailed Sarah Blake by just over a foot with a mark of 58.24 meters (191-1). With a season’s best of 63.88 meters (209-6), she knew she had plenty more in the tank.

Before her fifth attempt, she talked to her mother, who used to coach Wiltrout when she was younger. She decided to stop thinking about technique entirely and instead keep one thought in her head: why do I love doing this?

It worked: she threw 61.14 meters (200-7), taking the lead, and followed that up with an even better mark of 62.90 meters (206-4). Blake didn’t have an answer, and Wiltrout took the win.

Wiltrout called herself a “work in progress” this season; she’s had a few great performances and a couple bad ones, and she said she’s doing plenty of work on both the technical and mental side to put herself in the best possible position with championship meets on the horizon.

On the mental side, she’s talked with her sports psychologist about being more relaxed during competition. When important meets come up, she said, she often tenses up, which hurts her performance (as it almost did on Saturday). With the U.S, Championships in two weeks, staying relaxed is essential.

“At the end of the day, it does matter,” Wiltrout said of her competitive philosophy, “but for what? You always have another year.”

Pitcavage Torches High School Meet Record

Hunter Pitcavage (Dallas PA) knew his second throw was a good one when it left his hand, but he didn’t realize just how good.

His javelin landed 71.98 meters (236-2) away, beyond the curved line of American flags that signaled the existing meet record. He shattered that mark and became the seventh best thrower in high school history.

“I thought that was pretty crazy,” Pitcavage said. “I knew it was a good throw, I just didn’t expect seventh all-time.”

Recounting the throw itself, he had a matter-of-fact retelling. There wasn’t any magic to it, he said; it just happened.

“Really, I just ran up there with some speed, got to the point, and it just sailed,” Pitcavage said. “That’s just how it goes in javelin. You don’t really know when you have your best throw. It just feels effortless.”

Pitcavage won the boys javelin at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June with a throw of 68.28 meters (224-0), a US#5 mark. His new personal best gives him the national lead by over seven feet, as a junior no less.

Leighton Little of Raleigh, N.C. (St. Davids NC), a decathlete, threw a personal best and US#3 69.53m (228-1) for second place. 

Meanwhile, Olivia Barr of Potoma Valley Track Club (Wakefield VA) won her fourth career title — albeit her first in the high school championship division. Barr competed in the novice and Emerging Elite divisions in past years, and she made the most of what she said was a reluctant move up to the championship division, throwing 47.02 meters (154-3) to take the win.

Barr said the meet’s atmosphere is what keeps her coming back.

“The javelin community is very small,” Barr said, “and coming to a place like this has allowed me the opportunity to work on my skillset but also meet incredible people that all appreciate the sport equally.”

Marissa Rystadt of Youth Track Foundation (Jesuit OR) threw a personal best 46.11m (151-3) for second place.