Cavaliers Now

Ethan Dabbs Wins Gold in Javelin at USATF Championships

Dabbs followed up his runner-up finish at NCAAs by winning the national championship at the USATF Outdoor Championships

Matt Newton

Photo courtesy of Logan Hannigan-Downs/TrackTown USA

A runner-up finish in the javelin at the NCAA Championships on June 9th was a moment of elation for Virginia's Ethan Dabbs, who had Tommy John surgery last summer. A little over two weeks later, the junior javelin thrower returned to Hayward Field in Oregon for the USATF Outdoor Championships and delivered another incredible performance, this time triumphing with a gold medal in the javelin.Β 

Dabbs won the national championship in dramatic fashion, just barely qualifying for the eighth and final spot in the javelin finals with a mark of 72.99 meters. In the finals, he was in fifth place after five attempts. On his sixth and final throw, Dabbs recorded an outstanding throw of 81.29 meters, thrusting him into the lead and winning the title.Β 

Dabbs' gold-medal performance at the USATF Outdoor Championships is the continuation of an amazing comeback story after undergoing surgery on his throwing arm in 2021. He battled back to win his third-straight ACC Championship, setting the ACC Championship record in the process with a throw of 82.92 meters. At the NCAA Championships, Dabbs' throw of 79.86 meters earned him a silver medal.Β 

β€œIt’s been a long year,” Dabbs said. β€œI got it done when it mattered and that’s what matters most…I had nothing to lose.”

By virtue of winning the national championship, Ethan Dabbs has secured a spot on Team USATF at the World Athletics Championships, taking place from July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon.

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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