Two-Time Olympian Doesn’T Disappoint With One Javelin Throw, Pukstys Sets Vandal Indoor Track Record

It was Tom Pukstys among the high wires Friday night, without a net.

The two-time Olympian and American record holder in the javelin was the marquee athlete for the 24th annual Vandal Indoor track and field meet at the Kibbie Dome - and it took him just one throw to live up to his billing.

With an opener of 249 feet, the 30-year-old University of Florida graduate became an American record holder a second time - this one establishing a new “unofficial” indoor standard, unofficial mostly because the Dome is the only place big enough to handle the javelin under cover.

In fact, the event hadn’t been conducted since 1988, when former Vandal Craig Christianson stretched the U.S. record to 241-5. Friday night, it was Pukstys doing the stretching.

His series included four throws beyond 250 feet, topped by a 252-2 in the second round. That will stand as the record, though when he indulged himself with a couple of extra non-counters, Pukstys reached 261-11.

It was Pukstys’ first competitive effort of the season; he’s been throwing at home into a net.

“It was everything I wanted it to be,” said Pukstys, who paid his way up from Louisiana to be meet director Mike Keller’s headliner. “I really enjoyed myself.

“I had a really bad season last year. My uncle passed away and the javelin wasn’t fun. So instead of being angry and pursuing records or anything specific today, I just wanted to have fun. And with the crowd being like that, it was really special. And to have Oscar Duncan have a personal best, it was even better. I always feel great when my competitors throw better than they normally would. If guys raise their skill level when I show up, it’s nice.”

Duncan’s effort may have been more remarkable, indeed. The former Idaho thrower, who hasn’t competed for more than a year after arm surgery, equaled his lifetime outdoor best with a 238-6 bomb in round three. Eastern Washington’s Aaron Williams also had a good night, reaching 210-6.

It was a perfect capper to an evening of good, and occasionally spectacular track.

Leading into the javelin finale was a sizzling 4x400-meter relay that saw Idaho’s Tawanda Chiwira turn in a stunning 44.4-second anchor leg to overhaul Washington’s James Mackey and bring the Vandals home in 3:08.32, which should get them into the NCAA Championships next month.

The Huskies led off with NCAA 55-meter champion Ja’Warren Hooker (Friday’s 60-meters winner in 6.72) and built a 7-meter lead after the first leg. But the Vandals slowly came back, and with Adekunle Adejuyigbe running a strong third leg against UW’s Derek Pryor, they were within easy striking distance for Chiwira.

“If I would have gotten the baton in front, what I would have done is kind of run scared and gone out very fast as well, so it would have been the same thing,” said Chiwira. “But the fact that he was ahead and took it out fast, that’s what made me kick at the 200 which is usually what I do in a normal race. He isn’t a big-time quartermiler like Derek Pryor and his kick isn’t as good, so I took advantage of that.” As it turned out, it still wasn’t fast enough for a meet record. Only one other fell besides the javelin - and it was a case of long time, no see.

Vicki Lynch-Pounds remembered running in the Kibbie Dome “10 years ago or more” as a high school athlete from LeDuc, Alberta. Friday night, she returned to win the women’s 800 meters in 2:07.51 - slicing almost a second and a half from the 9-year-old record set by Washington State’s Jennifer Carpenter.

Lynch-Pounds, who went to school at Alabama and now runs for the Mountain West Track Club in Missoula, blasted through a 60-second first 400 and coasted home a few meters in front of WSU’s Alishia Booterbaugh - who won this event the past two years, but ran 5 seconds faster in finishing second in 2:08.18.

The brisk, 22-event program featured a number of other notable efforts.

Freeman’s John Russell scored something of an upset over bigger-school rivals such as Kris Martin of University and Ryan Craig of Rogers to win the boys high school mile in 4:23.15.

Eastern’s Seville Broussard was the evening’s lone double winner, claiming the high jump with a leap of 5-8 and winning the 55 hurdles in 8.04, nipping UW’s Patrice Davis by a mere .02.

And Spokane’s Kim Jones wound up second in the women’s mile, dipping under 5 minutes with a 4:59.62 clocking behind Janet Collar - but was more excited about daughter Jamie Rosenquist’s performance. Running against a collegiate and open field, the Lewis and Clark high school runner was timed in 5:11.44 for ninth.