SELINSGROVE, PA – On the strength of his record-setting performance in the javelin at Saturday’s Washington & Lee Invitational, Susquehanna University senior Matt Deamer has automatically qualified for the 2003 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, to be held June 19-22 at Stanford University.

He has also provisionally qualified for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials to be held in Sacramento from July 9 to 18, 2004.

Deamer (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley H.S.) recorded what is believed to be the third-longest javelin throw in NCAA Division III history with a distance of 236 feet, 1 ˝ inches to shatter his own school record of 226 feet, 1 inch set at last year’s Middle Atlantic Conference championships.

His throw surpassed the USA Outdoor Championships automatic qualifying mark of 232 feet, 11 inches, which will enable Deamer to compete in the 18-man field on Saturday, June 21.

Deamer, now a four-time automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Championships and a 2001 All-American, is in pursuit of the modern Division III record of 242 feet, 6 inches set by Kris Theriault of Fitchburg State during preliminaries at the 1995 NCAA championships.

Theriault also has the second-best throw of 236 feet, 6 inches which he established to win the 1994 NCAA championship. Current records date to 1986 when the balance point of the javelin was modified.

The Crusaders will compete at the Roanoke Invitational this Saturday, March 22.