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HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University javelin thrower Christian Spaulding will realize a lifelong dream Wednesday when the senior competes at the NCAA Championship amongst a capacity crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
 
Spaulding will suit up in the javelin at 8:45 p.m. ET (5:45 p.m. PT) on June 8 and compete with 23 of the best throwers in the nation. The winner of the event will be declared the NCAA National Champion.
 
Wednesday's NCAA Championship will be televised live on the ESPN Family of Networks. HPU fans can tune in from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, from 8:30-11 p.m. on ESPN2 or all day from 3:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
 
Spaulding is seeded 16^th amongst the 24 competitor field and will perform in the first of two flights in the event. Each competitor will throw three times, with the top nine performers advancing to the final. Those nine student-athletes will receive three additional throws, with the top-8 finishers earning All-America honors.
 
Spaulding qualified for Eugene with a fantastic performance in the fourth NCAA preliminary competition of his career (tied for most all-time at High Point).
 
The Middletown, N.J., opened his field series at the NCAA prelims in Jacksonville with throws of 63.78m (209-3) and 62.25m (204-2). He needed a big throw on his third attempt to get into the hunt for a national bid and he came through with a purpose on his final attempt. Spaulding hit a school-record mark of 69.18m (227-0) to land himself in first place through 32 competitors. He then had to play the waiting game while the third and final flight took place. He needed to top just five competitors in that group to qualify, and he did that and then some, usurping eight of the 16 competitors to qualify and place ninth.
 
Wednesday's NCAA Championship competition caps a sensational senior campaign for Spaulding. After redshirting during the 2015 outdoor campaign, he returned to the gridiron in March and promptly broke his own school record during his debut at the Wake Forest Open in March (68.75m, 225-7). Spaulding then topped that mark with a throw of 68.88m (226-0) at the Big South Championship while placing second.
 
He has topped 65 meters in six of his last seven javelin appearances and has won three events in 2016.

Next Up
After Spaulding competes, fellow senior Christine Rickert takes her turn on Thursday (June 9) at 8:45 p.m. ET. Rickert placed third at the NCAA preliminary and is seeded 10^th in the event.

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