Aggie thrower has sights set on gold
Ranked third in the nation and first in region, javelin thrower Neil Warr from Utah State’s track and field team has been named USU’s male athlete of the year by The Utah Statesman.
In the four meets this season, Warr has not only broken his personal record, but he has also broken the USU record in the javelin, which came at the Stanford Invitational. Incidentally, it was at Stanford that Warr believes things really began to change for him.
At Stanford, Warr faced the javelin thrower who placed third last year at the national tournament and was beating him up until the last throw, giving Warr second place.
“I think it kind of woke him up and surprised some other people,” Warr said. “I think I’m kind of the dark horse of the javelin this year. No one is really taking me serious. But I think they’ll get a wakeup call.”
Being the underdog is exactly what Warr wants.
“It gives me an edge when they’re wondering and I feel like I’m knowing,” he said.
After throwing 233 feet and 5 inches in the Stanford Invitational, his best throw of his career at the time, Warr was definitely knowing instead of wondering, he said. Then, at the third meet of the season, the Weber State invitational, Warr again broke his personal record, along with the USU record for the javelin and Weber States stadium record, with a throw of 236-02.
Warr’s throw of 236-02 proved to him that he could throw with anyone, he said, and compete in nationals. The mark that is expected to win nationals this year is anywhere from 245 to 250 feet, Warr said.
As long as Warr continues to receive the support from his fans, in the form of yelling and clapping during his throws, winning nationals is a realistic goal, he said.
“I love it, because it gets exciting when you know everybody is watching,” he said. “It just gets you pumped up.”
But whether the crowd is behind him or not, Warr’s natural ability and desire will likely carry him to the top, he said. Warr’s career in the javelin began when he was a pitcher in high school, and his brother started talking to him about throwing the javelin. He tried it out and loved the javelin from that point on.
Ever since he took up the javelin, Warr has been his own coach. In addition to team practices, Warr spends an average of 10 hours a week studying and analyzing videos, which he said has helped him get where he is.
This year, Warr is the highest nationally ranked Aggie on team and will be missed next year, Head Coach Gregg Gensel said.
“He’s a great athlete,” he said. “He has helped our team quite a bit.”
But the sentimental feeling goes both ways. Although Warr is expecting to compete in the javelin for at least 10 more years, he will miss the college competition the most.
“I love going to the meets,” Warr said. “I’ve got a lot of good friends on the track team, and I’ll miss going to track meets with them and having everybody there supporting me. If I go on to the next level it won’t be like that, I’ll go by myself to these meets.”
After college competition is over, Warr is hoping to compete in the next Olympics.
-Csmo@cc.usu.edu