Texas A&M's Kyriazis Uses Single Throw to Best Meet Record, Third SEC Javelin Title

By Adam Kopet, DyeStat Editor

With the SEC Outdoor Championships underway, Texas A&M is well positioned for a title run.

Aggies junior Ioannis Kyriazis, a Greek national, won the javelin for the third straight year, besting the meet record Thursday with his single throw.

Kyriazis' opening mark of 262-11 (80.15m) shattered the meet record by over a foot. He did not take another throw in the competition, wanting to save his arm for the bigger throws later in the season, specifically at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.

"Honestly, because I threw with cross-over steps, it didn't feel like a good throw," Kyriazis said to the 12th-Man. "It was kind of an empty throw. But when I heard it was 80 meters, I was kind of surprised since I didn't expect it to be 80 meters."

Earlier in the season at the Texas Relays, Kyriazis threw a personal best 288-9 (88.01m). He did not need the same kind of throw to win Thursday. Missouri's Reinhard Van Zyl finished runner-up with a best throw of 253-3 (77.20m).