Thrown into the fire

Making a name for himself in the Little East Conference track and field world this year is freshman javelin thrower Glenn Guilmette. Guilmette has hit the ground running after arriving at Keene State College, making it to nationals during his freshman year. While this is a pretty impressive feat in itself, the real shock is Guilmette has only been throwing javelin for two years. 

It’s hard to believe, but Guilmette only started throwing his senior year of high school. As a senior at Exeter High School, Guilmette threw 178 ft. That throw helped him earn the New Hampshire State championship his first year of competition.

Guilmette had been a pitcher for the Exeter High School baseball team for most of his high school career. However, he decided to join the track and field team his senior year.
“I hate to run,” Guilmette said, “but I was a pitcher for the baseball team, so I thought that I would try the javelin.” Guillmette is quite satisfied with the results. 178 feet is respectable for a high school senior, but to succeed at the next level he needed to step up. “He always had good arm strength,” KSC throwing coach John Napolitano said. “So we’ve really worked on his technique, run up approach, and strengthening the rest of his body.” A strong arm and some natural talent is a great starting block for a thrower, but to improve as an athlete one must continually grow and prefect their craft.

Starting in the winter throwing indoors, Guilmette worked on his run up and technique. In addition, he has been hitting the gym to work out his lower body to add to his overall physical strength.

“I really do not have much form,” Guilmette said, “and the past two years have been just trying to get my form down.” During his first year at KSC, Guilmette has already gained considerable skill and is really improving. His farthest throw this year registered at 206 feet and he is now throwing in the 200-foot range rather consistently.

“Glenn is capable of doing something pretty special,” Coach Napolitano said. “If he sticks with it, he could be looking at some D3 records.”

Qualifying for Division III nationals as a freshman is a great accomplishment for Guillmette, but both he and Napolitano agree it’s far from his peak.

Make no mistake, Guilmette can see his potential, and is striving to continually improve. One record Guilmette is chasing in particular is the KSC Javelin record of 213 feet to 10 inches. The record is currently held by one of Guilmette’s teammates, Dan Colina, and was set just last year.

After having so much success this early in his throwing career, one might ask how Guilmette improves from here. “He has natural talent and has really improved,” Coach Napolitano said, “but you can always get stronger, faster, and improve your run up.”
“I am very excited to go to nationals and compete with some of the top throwers in the nation and see where I stand,” Guilmette said.

Going into such a huge meet this early in his college career, Guilmette says he is really looking to dive into the mix and see what it’ll take to get better. At nationals, he says he is hoping to at least match his record of 206 feet or even possibly set a new personal record with an even longer throw.

No one can really say how good Guilmette could potentially be by his senior year, but he does have some lofty goals. “Before my time at Keene is done I am hoping to reach 70 meters,” Guilmette said. 70 meters converts to a little under 230 feet, quite an impressive distance.

If he sticks with the sport and continues to grow and improve, he could do precisely what Coach Napolitano thinks he is capable of. It’s impossible to predict what Guilmette’s throwing career will develop into several years down the road, but he has certainly gotten off to a blistering start. Young and full of potential, there. may be another future KSC great in the works.

Ryan Glavey can be contacted at rglavey@keeneequinox.com