Kingerski playing the numbers game
SLIPPERY ROCK — Josh Kingerski knows all the numbers. He’s just happy to finally be able to reach them.
The Slippery Rock High School graduate set the Rockets’ record in the javelin his senior year with a toss of 197 feet. That record still stands today.
But until recently, Kingerski had been unable to toss the javelin at that level again. Now a junior mechanical engineering major at Slippery Rock University, he tore the UCL in his elbow two weeks after setting that high school record.
“It’s been a battle to get back to that level ever since,” Kingerski said. “Not only physically ... I had to get my confidence back as well. I still feel pain in the elbow when I’m done throwing, but it’s just soreness.
“For a long time, every time I felt that pain, I wondered if I tore my elbow again. But I’m past that now.”
And he’s having a breakthrough season.
Kingerski placed seventh in the javelin at the PSAC Championships last year. So far this season, he’s won the event at the Tom Weaver Invitational at West Liberty State College in West Virginia and the Dr. Jack M. Toms Invitational at Lynchburg, Va. He had a personal-best throw of 200 feet, 6 inches, in Virginia and has reached the NCAA provisional distance.
“Josh has been working hard at this since he got here,” SRU track and field coach Bill Jordan said. “He’s a student of the (javelin) event. Working as hard as he has for two or three years, we fully expected this to happen.
“While he’s hit the NCAA provisional, he’s probably going to have to throw farther to qualify fot nationals. Only the top 20 throws nationally make it to that meet.”
Kingerski figures he’ll have to throw between 210 and 220 feet “to solidify my standing in terms of nationals.” SRU’s javelin record is 230 feet, set by Jim Geist — father of Knoch graduate and U.S. Olympic throwing contender Jordan Geist — and The Rock’s current throws coach.
“It’d be really cool to break his record while he’s my coach,” Kingerski said. “I have my eye on that.”
He also has his eyes on winning the PSAC Chamopionship this season.
“That’s very feasible,” Jordan said. “I can see that happening for him.”
Kingerski played baseball through his freshman year at Slippery Rock High School. He switched over to track by his sophomore year after a few friends told him how much fun it was throwing the javelin.
The javelin has always been his lone event.
“I wasn’t getting the playing time I wanted in baseball,” Kingerski recalled. “I made the transition to throwing the javelin and threw it 150 feet my sophomore year. Then it took off from there.”
His mother works at SRU, so Kingerski was able to attend college at no charge. When the Rock track team extended an invitation for him to join the squad, despite his injury situation, “it was a no-brainer for me to go there,” Kingerski said.
Jordan was thrilled to get another athlete from Slippery Rock High School to cross the street.
“We love getting Slippery Rock kids,” he said. “(SR coach) Tom Meling runs a great program over there. A number of Slippery Rock kids have joined our program and fared well. Josh is falling right in line there.
“Besides being a great athlete, Josh is a great person. We’re so happy to be able to work with him.”
