Sports

UAA's Parker 2nd in NCAA Division II javelin to wrap All-America career

Two years removed from major elbow surgery, UAA's Cody Parker wrapped a rewarding college career Saturday by finishing second in the men's javelin at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships and bagging his third All-America honor.

Parker, a senior who won the national title as a sophomore in 2013, placed in the top three in three of his four appearances at outdoor nationals. Saturday's runner-up finish earned Parker career finishes at nationals of first, second, third (2012) and ninth (2015).

In 2015, Parker's ninth-place finish left him one spot — a mere inch — from landing among the top eight, who achieve All-America status.

"I'm pretty happy," Parker said by cellphone. "Everything could be improved, obviously, but I'm thrilled with my career."

Parker's runner-up finish in Bradenton, Florida, came one day after UAA senior Cody Thomas won the decathlon there to tie a bow on his Seawolves career. The 18 team points Thomas and Parker furnished — 10 from Thomas, eight from Parker — accounted for all of the Seawolves' men's points. UAA finished tied for 14th.

Also Friday, freshman Jonah Thiesen of Kenai, competing for Black Hills State of South Dakota, delivered a blazing last lap in Bradenton to seize the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase title. He furnished the Yellow Jackets their first national champ since they elevated to NCAA Division II in 2013.

Thiesen was positioned third in a tight bunch of six runners with one lap to go and then showed the competition his back. Thiesen's closing 400 meters of 63.3 seconds was more than two seconds faster than any other closing circuit in the field. After entering the meet ranked second in Division II and winning his preliminary heat Thursday in 9 minutes, 3.74 seconds, he clocked 8:53.29 seconds for victory Saturday.

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UAA sophomore Caroline Kurgat on Saturday night finished sixth in the women's 5,000 meters in 16:55.84, earning All-America status and giving the Seawolves women the only three team points they secured. Seawolves senior Joyce Chelimo, who entered the meet with Division II's fastest times in the 10,000 and 5,000, finished 10th in the 5,000 in 16:55.28 after dropping out of the 10,000 on Thursday in mid-race.

UAA sophomore Henry Cheseto finished 17th in the men's 5,000 in 14:46.77.

Parker, 23, of Comox, British Columbia, threw the javelin 228 feet, 11 inches on his third of six attempts Saturday. That stood as the top mark until senior Caleb Nieves Velez of the University of Puerto Rico-Rico Piedras uncorked a personal-best 249-7 on his fifth attempt. Parker fouled on his last two attempts.

"It took a big throw to unseat Cody," said UAA assistant coach Ryan McWilliams, who oversees Seawolves throwers.

Parker said he intends to continue competing after college.

Parker's runner-up wrapped a remarkable five-year run for Seawolves javelin throwers, who racked five top-three finishes, and six top-five finishes, in that span. UAA's Franz Burghagen, currently a Seawolves graduate assistant coach, finished fifth in 2015, second in 2014 and third in 2013.

In 2014, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Parker underwent reconstructive surgery on his right, or throwing, elbow to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. That was followed by extensive physical rehabilitation and the mental battle to convince himself his elbow could again withstand the rigors of throwing the javelin.

"It was both getting back physically, and then trusting it," Parker said.

Javelin throwers make violent actions in their event. They run at high speed toward the throwing line, come to a bracing stop on their plant leg and whip the implement into the air with whiplash force — all that is hard on the joints.

"If it's not the elbow, it's the shoulder or it's the knee," said McWilliams, a former Division II All-America decathlete at Angelo State in Texas.

McWilliams said that while Parker seemed a bit disappointed not to bag another national title, his protege delivered significant accomplishments as a Seawolf.

"It's a pretty good career," McWilliams said. "The only year he wasn't All-American is the year he was injured. I think he's a little bummed today, but, all in all, when he looks back on his career, he'll be proud."

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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