SELINSGROVE, Pa. - Freshman Matt Deamer (Belleville/ Indian Valley H.S.) and senior Adam Ressler (Robesonia/Conrad Weiser H.S.) both should be serious contenders for the championship in the javelin as Susquehanna University's lone representatives at the 2000 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, this Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27, at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.
The men's javelin competition will take place on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Central time.
Runner-up to Ressler at the recent Middle Atlantic Conference Championships, Deamer is seeded second in the event with his modern era school record throw of 211-6, while Ressler is fourth with his throw of 206-11 - initially setting the modern school record before Deamer broke it the following week. Ressler also placed 10th and was the top Division III finisher in the javelin at the prestigious Penn Relays on Saturday, April 29 - throwing 198-2.
Amazingly, Ressler only threw the javelin during his senior year in high school and didn't compete in the event during most of his first two years at Susquehanna - qualifying for the 1998 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in the high jump as he tied the school record in that event with a leap of 6-9. He also won the MAC high jump title this spring, clearing 6-6.
By contrast, Deamer was a "blue chip" javelin recruit out of high school as a two-time state qualifier who set both school and county records last season with a throw over 220-feet, ranking first among high school throwers nationally at the time.
Springfield College senior Nick Guerrette is the defending NCAA Division III national champion in the javelin, winning last season's competition with a throw of 222-4, and has the longest throw this year by just three inches over Deamer at 211-9. St. Thomas (Minn.) senior Greg Kaiser was also an All-American last season as he finished eighth (189-6) and is seeded third in the event this year at 207-6.
"This is one of the strongest competitions (at nationals) I can remember. Everyone seems
Deamer, Ressler Seeded Second, Fourth in Jav for NCAA D-III Nationals, 5-22-00
to be around the same distance and should make for one heck of an event. Guerrette has got to be the favorite, but I have heard that back problems limited his appearances this year and I like the positions of our throwers. Kaiser is a big strong kid and he has put up a big throw, although he (Kaiser) hasn't changed his mark for several weeks," said Susquehanna's ninth-year throwing coach Cris Delbaugh, who was a former throwing standout at both Susquehanna and nearby Lewisburg High School.
Delbaugh has had men's javelin throwers qualify for the national championship event in each of the last four seasons, with Marty Pinter earning All-American honors in 1998 as he placed sixth with a throw of 192-7. He also coached women's thrower Janee Shaner, who became the first Susquehanna woman to win a national championship when she took the javelin with a throw of 137-7 in 1998. Shaner also made it back to nationals last season, but has since transferred to Division II Indiana University of Pa. Delbaugh also coached a women's javelin All-American in 1993 as Liz Nicodemus placed fourth at nationals with a school record throw of 143-6.
In addition to Deamer and Ressler, Delbaugh had two more throwers provisionally qualify for nationals this season as senior Erik Benson (West Reading/Wyomissing H.S.) and sophomore Steve Turzanski (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia H.S.) threw career bests of 191-8 and 191-5 respectively - with Turzanski's coming as he placed fourth recently at MAC Championships. Unfortunately, those throws rank Benson 27th and Turzanski 28th and not high enough to make the field of between 15 and 17 throwers at nationals.
The Susquehanna men's track and field team recently finished second at MAC Championships under 22nd-year head coach Jim Taylor, who has coached six Division III men's national champions and 31 All-Americans during his tenure at Susquehanna. He was also the head coach of the women's team when Shaner won her national championship two years ago.
