Lindbergh High’s boys track and field team held the first South County Classic on April 25, and for a school named after one of the country’s pioneers in aviation, a javelin that took flight was the second farthest throw in the state this year when it touched down.
The throw of 60.91 meters (199 feet, 10 inches) came from the lightning-bolt of a right arm by Northwest junior Cohenn Stark, who broke the school record of 53.88 he set last year. Stark’s throw of 51.36 was good enough for sixth place at last season’s Class 5 state championships in Jefferson City. Adrian senior Bryson Jacobs threw the javelin 68.78 on April 3 for the farthest throw in the state in 2026. Adrian is a Class 2 school.
“That throw literally changed my life,” Stark said after he got off of work Sunday night. “My body was the freshest since the state series last year.”
After missing wrestling season because of a shoulder injury he suffered playing quarterback on the football team, it wasn’t clear if Stark could approach the distances in the javelin from his sophomore year.
“I was grateful coming off a torn labrum that I was able to throw,” Stark said. “I started my season at the level I was at last year. I didn’t believe my issues were because of my shoulder. I had to get comfortable running down the runway. Once I did that, it just clicked.”
Keiler Swartz is the throws coach at Northwest, and he coaches the offensive line during football season. Swartz said he was concerned about Stark’s progress after he suffered the injury in the district championship game.
“Javelin is very technical,” Swartz said. “We modified how to fix his throw to make it all lower body, but as long as (his shoulder) hasn’t been hurting him, that’s been our north star. We’re more comfortable letting him throw. In order to see bigger gains, there are things we need to fix about how his upper body is moving. We’re keeping an eye on it as we go. As long as he’s not feeling pain, and he’s not, we’re going to fix those technique pieces.
“You’re looking for that whip or snap action. When you hit your block, all the motion on the left side goes, it whips through everything on the right side and wreaks havoc on your body.”
Northwest head coach Ken Campbell rarely gets to watch the Lions in their field events because he’s running the track events. But he saw Stark set the record.
“Coach (Swartz) doesn’t like the throwers to make a big deal when they hit a big throw, and (Swartz) was running off the shot, and every time Cohenn would throw, he’d yell how far it was to Swartz, and that went on and started to draw a bigger crowd,” Campbell said.
As a three-sport athlete, the college options are just starting to open up for Stark. A throw of more than 60 meters in the javelin will draw attention. But bringing a college scout or coach to Cedar Hill is about more than just distance.
“College coaches are looking for big PRs and they like progression,” Swartz said. “They like to see how they interact with the team. They want coachability and Cohenn has that in spades. Last year, I’ll never forget after he threw a record breaker, he ran up to me and asked what he could do to get better. That’s what coaches are looking for. For track and field, we want to be the best. Cohenn can be the example of that progress.”
The Flyers won their meet with 210 points, while the Lions were second with 149. It was the second meet in as many days for Northwest, who were again second, this time scoring 130 points at the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational in O’Fallon. Fort Zumwalt West won with 151 points.
At North, the Lion 4x100 relay team comprised of Chase Belcher, Omar Frazier, Keegan Moloney and Stark finished second in 44.23 seconds, the eighth fastest time in school history.
Sophomore Jax Newcomer won the 110 hurdles in 15.90 and was third in the 300 hurdles in 43.61. The next day at Lindbergh, Newcomer set a PR in the 300 hurdles in 42.27. When the postseason begins, the prelims for the hurdles are run one day, and the finals the next.
“He’s going to have to learn to run those hurdles two days in a row, so that was good he did that,” Campbell said.
At Lindbergh, senior Jackson Judge and sophomore Jeremiah Brown ran PR’s in the 3,200. Judge won in 10:17.50, and Brown was second in 10:30.30. Brown, Judge, junior Riley Strauser and freshman Jacob Judge finished second in the 4x800 relay in 8:34.28 at North, and a quartet of Strauser, Tyler Brown, Theodore Woodward and Carter Neumann was second in 9:21.22 at Lindbergh.
“Everyone’s dancing around different events, and they’re all PRing, so it’s very exciting right now,” Campbell said about his distance crew.
The Northwest boys are at the Jim Schmuck Patriot Classic at Parkway South today (April 30) and will host the Suburban Conference Yellow pool meet on May 7. Lindbergh won the Yellow pool last year.
The Northwest girls competed at North and finished sixth with 81 points. Top five finishers for the Lions were: junior Danalyn Richman (fourth, 100, 12.93PR); Richman (third, 200, 27.17PR); junior Rose Nicholls (second, 800, 2:26.22); freshman Marlena Watkins (third, 1,600, 5:40.66); Watkins (second, 3,200, 11:52.28PR); freshman Chloe Vandaveer (fifth, 3,200, 12:27.61); 4x800 relay (fourth, 10:58.15); sophomore Audrey Graham (tied second, high jump, 1.40PR); junior Leighton Lee (fifth, long jump, 4.66).