By ELLIOTT DENMAN // Photo Courtesy of Mississipi State (Madeleine Takahashi)

EUGENE, OREGON – New Jersey’s always been a great javelin throwing state.

Seems like it’s been that way forever.

Let’s run down the list of superb Garden State spearpeople:

Mark Murro, America’s first 300-footer.

Barbara Friedrich, USA women’s record-holder.

Bob Roggy, the world leader and 314-footer.

Bill Miller, Olympic silver medalist.

Bobby Smith, Olympic Trials champion.

And, in the famous words of the once-King of Siam, “etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.” 

Well, the beat goes on. Especially the younger generational beat.

Just a handful of fans had made their way into the stand at historic Hayward Field Thursday morning when the men’s javelin throw field gathered for the Junior National Championships, the meet (for 19-and-unders) being staged concurrently with the USA National Championships (for the best of all ages.).

And, sure enough, the Jersey Boys struck a gold, silver and bronze Junior bonanza.

Curtis Thompson, the sensational Mississippi State freshman and NCAA third-placer two weeks ago who’d been the New Jersey Meet of Champions winner a year ago for Florence Township High School, took just two throws and had the Junior National title wrapped up. He hurled it 213-9 in his opener and then a brilliant 237-4 in round two and that’s all it took.

Thompson took the rest of the morning off and returned for the USA Nationals and was brilliant there, too, placing sixth - against all the vets - with a best of 237-8 (a 4-inch improvement on his winning Junior mark.

Has there ever been an athlete winning a Junior National championship and then medaling In the USA Nationals on the same day?  (Actually just five-plus hours apart.)

The sport’s historians were digging through the archives to see if that’s ever happened before.

The next two behind Thompson in the Juniors were Jersey Boys, too.

Taking the silver was Rutgers freshman Chris Mirabelli, out of Holy Cross High School In Delran.  Mirabelli – whose Dad, Mark, is one of the nation’s leading throws coaches and director of the clinic sessions that attract many of the sport’s biggest names each March – claimed second with a best of 225-5. Mirabelli was in major trouble early on, fouling his first two throws. But he got off a “safe” 180-4 in the third round to advance, and then delivered his 225-5 in the sixth round to clinch second.

Snaring third place was Seth Zuidema, the University of Connecticut freshman out of Midland Park High School, with a throw of 197-2.

Among the many heaping praise on Thompson, and his double-duty day, was Dartmouth grad Sean Furey, the USA Nationals jav champion (for a third time) with a walloping 272-7 in the sixth and final round.

“I’m 32 now and I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Furey.  “I wouldn’t be putting my body through all this if I didn’t think I’d keep improving.  That’s what this event is all about – it’s a long-term project.

“So when you see a young thrower like Curtis Thompson coming up, You’ve got to be excited.

“He’s a great young athlete and a great prospect.  He could be the future of the sport in this country.”