National High School Records Through the Years

Boys Outdoor Record – Javelin throw

Tommi Viskari (Amsterdam High School, Amsterdam, New York)

Performance  – 241 feet, 11 inches

Date – November 12, 1988

Place – West Point, New York (U.S. Military Academy)

Meet – TAC Weight Developmental meet

Previous Record – 236-0 by Viskari October 30, 1988, in a similar meet at New Haven, Connecticut, using the new implement that had just been introduced two years earlier. Prior to that, the final high school record with the original implement was 259-10, by Art Skipper (Sandy, Oregon) in May, 1988, as that javelin had not been completely phased out. This record of 241-11, set 37 years ago this week, lasted 22 years. 

Viskari was a cultural exchange student from Finland attending Amsterdam High School in Central New York State, not far from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. While New York does not contest the javelin, Viskari, an excellent athlete, was on the school track team, specializing in the triple jump, making him eligible for an American high school record if he competed in an official, recognized meet, which he did on multiple occasions. Two years later, representing his homeland, he was World Junior champion. In 1997, home in Finland, he threw 257-3.  

Video of the record throw here

National High School Records Through the Years appears once a week, compiled and written by a track historian, Jack Pfeifer (Lake Oswego, Oregon). Inquiries may be directed to him by email (jack.pfeifer@gmail.com).     

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