JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High Point University senior javelin thrower Christian Spaulding put together five years of training and determination to shine on the biggest stage Friday, posting a new school record throw to advance to the NCAA Championship during NCAA preliminary competition at Hodges Stadium.
Spaulding’s mark of 69.18m (227-0) bested his previous top throw by a foot (.30m) and earned him a ninth-place finish among the 48 competitors. The Middletown, N.J., product is one of 12 NCAA East preliminary qualifiers that will head to Eugene with 12 qualifiers from the West Region. The 24 student-athletes will duke it out for the javelin national title at the NCAA Championship June 8-11 in Eugene, Ore.
Spaulding joins fellow senior javelin thrower Christine Rickert at the national meet, marking the first time the Panthers have had two student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championship in the same season. They are two of four HPU student-athletes ever to make the trip to Eugene, joining Jacob Smith (2012/2014, 3000m steeplechase) and Dakota Peachee (2013, 3000m steeplechase).
HPU is one of five schools in the country and the only non-“Power 5” conference program to send both a men’s and women’s javelin thrower to Eugene. The other four are track & field powers Oklahoma, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
“We brought Christian back for a fifth year with the hope he could put this type of performance together and he really showed the type of competitor he is,” head coach Mike Esposito said. “It’s been a dream of Christian’s to make it to Eugene and you could see it in the emotion from his family and from Chrissy [Rickert], who was just as excited for him. They’ve been a training duo in the weight room and in practice for four years and it’s great to see them both make it to Eugene as seniors.”
Spaulding opened his field series with throws of 63.78m (209-3) and 62.25m (204-2). He needed a big throw on his third attempt to get into the hunt for a national bid and he came through with a purpose on his final attempt. Spaulding hit the 69.18m (227-0) school-record mark to land himself in first place through 32 competitors. He then had to play the waiting game while the third and final flight took place. He needed to top just five competitors in that group to qualify, and he did that and then some, usurping eight of the 16 competitors to qualify.
“Christian has as much horsepower as anyone in the field out there,” associate head coach/throws coach Scott Hall said. “It was just a matter of him not trying too hard and staying out of his own way. To his credit, he stumbled on the first two attempts but figured out what to do and put together that strong throw on his third. I still think he can throw considerably further, he just has to get more consistent from a technical standpoint. It’s the same for Chrissy – with consistency in that smaller three throw window, they can perform even better in Eugene.”
Elsewhere for the Panthers, senior Alyssa Palenchar was seeded 48th and entered as the last pole vaulter in the field, but improved that standing by 19 spots in a strong day for the Bradenville, Pa., native. Palenchar cleared the 3.80m (12-5.5) and 3.95m (12-11.5) bars on her first try, then made strong attempts at a would be PR bar of 4.10m (13-5.25) before wrapping up her HPU career with aplomb and a 27th-place finish. She was one of two vaulters to compete for the Panthers Friday in the vault.
“Alyssa and Jill have both had record-breaking seasons this year and were in great form for Big South and NCAAs,” assistant coach/vaults coach Scott Houston said. “Alyssa started off strong with two first attempt clearances. Moving up to 4.10 she had two great attempts at a lifetime best but came up just short.”
Fellow senior Jill Marois battled through a difficult rain delay and cleared the 3.80m bar (12-5.5) before missing her three attempts at 3.95 meters. A three-time Big South pole vault champion and the holder of both HPU school records, Marois, along with Palenchar, graduates with a lasting legacy within the High Point University track & field program.
“Jill had a little struggle at the opening bar due to a 20-minute Florida rainstorm that opened up right before her second attempt,” Houston said. “Despite the wet conditions and waiting, she was able to remain mentally strong. Her jumps were much better through the next bar, but we just couldn’t stay consistent on the runway in this outing.”
In women’s throws action, sophomore Makenzi Holmes-DiGiovine made her NCAA preliminary debut in the discus and placed 38th with a mark of 46.76m (153-5). The top throw of her trio came on her second attempt. Holmes-DiGiovine – the 2016 Big South champion – has two seasons of eligibility remaining for the Panthers and will look to continue her upward trajectory during her 2016-17 junior season.
“Makenzi realized this was a disappointing performance but it doesn’t take away from a good sophomore season,” Hall said. “What I relayed to her was, you have a bad taste in your mouth from today and moving forward you can use this as a lesson and channel it into your preparation and determination moving forward. We stress in this program that efficacy comes from challenges and overcoming them and that’s her next step. She had a very productive spring and showed improvement throughout the year. Moving forward, improving her athleticism can help improve her technique and get her into position to compete with the nation’s best in the sport moving forward.”
Wrapping up the night, junior Natalia Ocasio also took a big step in her career with her first ever appearance in the NCAA preliminary. The two-time Big South champion took to the track in heat one, but sustained a leg injury with a little more than a lap to go and did not finish. She will now focus her efforts on a 2016-17 senior campaign in which she can continue to improve, compete for another Big South title and return to the NCAA preliminary next May in Lexington, Ky.
“Natalia’s race did not go as planned tonight but races never do. It’s how the athlete responds to the challenges and moves forward,” distance coach/women’s cross country head coach Jenna Wrieden said. “Natalia has had an immensely successful season coming off a school record and a league title. She earned an opportunity to race the best talent east of the Mississippi – that alone is motivation to become a better athlete. Nat is a tough runner and has to learn from this so she can get back here and own this race as a senior. I truly believe she can make that jump and I’m looking forward to next year.”
HPU wraps up NCAA preliminary competition Saturday in Hodges Stadium. After a solid opening NCAA competition in the long jump Thursday, senior Will Narramore makes a bid for Eugene in his specialty – the triple jump – at 3 p.m.