Concord’s Nick Reynolds ran up, poised and controlled, heaved and torqued his torso forward as his left leg stiffened up near the line. The javelin throw that followed punched his ticket to his first NCAA Championships.
The University of Georgia Bulldog will throw at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for a national javelin championship on Wednesday.
His throw of 74.49 meters (244 feet, 4 inches) at the NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, KY, in late May was the one that did it. He placed second in the region, behind teammate Jordan Davis (78.37/257-1).
After missing out last year, transferring from Tennessee to Georgia and improving in every aspect of throwing, Reynolds can’t wait.
“It’s rare that track gets a lot of attention sometimes, and being able to represent UGA and New Hampshire at the biggest stage in college means a lot,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds, a sophomore, threw 76.73 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championships to place fourth just before the regionals. What’s most exciting is that neither were his best throws of the season.
His best, 77.55 meters, ranks seventh in the country and is fifth-best all-time at Georgia, according to UGA Track and Field.
Reynolds told the Monitor earlier this season he feels like he’s very close to reaching 80 meters.
At the national championship, he’ll have another chance to prove himself as the top thrower in the country.
Reynolds said he’s focused on his routine and treating it like any other meet. His first year throwing in college was mentally challenging. He wasn’t breaking his own personal records every single meet as he did in high school anymore.
It’s not all unfamiliar, though, as he’s been to the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., before. He went there for the USA Track and Field (USATF) U20 Championships, placing fifth the summer after high school. The environment, fans, teams, coaches and athletes are all distractions from his goal to him. All he needs to do is keep calm and execute.
He’s put on around 40 pounds of muscle and matured to stay confident from week to week. His potential keeps growing and his performances are reaching new heights — just like his javelin throws.
“Going against the best competition I have all year is going to add some stress for sure, but I think I’ll be able to manage that,” he said.
The Crimson Tide’s hidden gem will throw for the NCAA championship on Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. EST. It will be available on ESPN and ESPN2.
After NCAAs wrap up, he’ll head back to Eugene on July 23 for the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships on the campus of the University of Oregon.