Carper produces best throw since 2016 to knock off reigning U.S. national champion Thompson

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Christopher Carper didn’t compete in the men’s javelin throw June 23 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

But Carper, a 2014 All-American at Robert Morris, secured one of the biggest victories of his career Sunday at the American JavFest at East Stroudsburg High in Pennsylvania by defeating reigning USATF champion Curtis Thompson of Mississippi State in the men’s elite competition.

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Carper produced a third-round throw of 244 feet, 10 inches (74.63m), his best effort since 2016, and Thompson came up just short in the sixth round with a mark of 242-3 (73.85m). Ben Cross of Canada, competing in the first of two flights, produced a big lifetime best by 11 feet in the third round with a throw of 230-0 (70.10m) to place third.

Thompson won the national title in Des Moines, Iowa with a fourth-round throw of 249-3 (75.99m), but couldn’t capture his second gold medal at JavFest in three years. He prevailed in 2016 with an effort of 260-11 (79.54m).

Carper had placed third at JavFest in both 2015 and 2016, including a 256-2 (78.08m) in the event’s inaugural edition, before dropping to 11th place last year.

Cross, making his JavFest debut, produced the best throw this year by a Canadian, surpassing the May 19 mark of 229-5 (69.93m) by Kyle Nielsen at the Tucson Elite Classic. 

Montclair State’s Lia Negra prevailed in the women’s elite competition with a sixth-round throw of 139-2 (42.42m).