Avery Martin- Contributor
On March 29, Jordan Davis, a senior, broke the NCAA Division II javelin record at the ninety six Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
Davis, who was the 2022 DII national champion, threw 80.36 meters to break the NCAA Division II Javelin Record initially. In his last attempt, he broke his own record that he had set earlier in the day with an 83.77 throw that would win him the event.
Davis’ 83.77 throw is the best javelin throw in the United States this year. It was also the fourth-longest the world and the fifth-longest throw in NCAA history.
“It was just a blessed experience, I would say,” Davis said.
Davis’s performance beat out 2021 Olympian Curtis Thompson. The two had close results before Davis pulled ahead.
“It was really cool to do it in an environment like that,” Davis said. “It was the Texas Relays, which is one of the biggest meets in the country, which is cool. To do it against a high-end thrower is really cool.”
Davis, who is from Wallingford, was then named the NCAA DII Athlete of the Week. It was the first time a university athlete received the award for outdoor track and field.
Davis’s throwing coach Dan Labbadia said that intense training and dedication makes Davis stand out from his peers and be able to achieve such historic results.
“With Jordan, he came in with a very naturally gifted arm,” Labbadia said. “So, with the last year especially we’ve been working on using his lower body more and getting a longer, faster approach and just really getting his legs to have a stronger finish through the throw.”
Both Labbadia and Davis say that they have been working on the small details that add up to big changes.
“So, it was very intense training all year round, and we’re still in pretty high-intensity training right now,” Davis said. “It’s definitely a lot, a lot of extra work, a lot of specific drills, specific movements, a lot of lifts.”
Labbadia said Davis can rise to the challenge of intense training and a heavy workload.
“The thing that’s really awesome about Jordan is that he’s been able to throw really well in a very intense training cycle,” Labbadia said.
Davis was initially a two-sport athlete, playing on the football team before switching to only competing in javelin. He says this enabled him to put more focus on reaching his best in track and field.
Davis’s sights now lie on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in late June and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He hopes that his results in Texas and upcoming meets will help him secure a spot on Team USA.
Labbadia, who helped Davis achieve his 2022 national title, has full confidence in him. As the throwing coach, Labbadia, an alumnus himself, says that the intense training Davis does will need to be adjusted to accommodate the summer events.
“Usually, we are getting ready to hit our peak at the end of May for nationals, but for this year we will be able to delay our peak until the end of June,” Labbadia said.
Until June, Davis says he is focused on improving every aspect of his throws.
“Really just trying to work on the craft, get better every day and be a little more specific and a little more precise,” Davis said.
Before the trials, Davis will compete in the NE10 Conference Championships, the New England Championships and the NCAA D-II National Championships with the team.
