Throwing for Gold: Kelly Leszcynski to Compete in National Championship

Kelly Leszcynski comes from a family of runners. But at Bloomsburg, she’s made her name sending javelins flying like lightning bolts.

As a high school freshman in Nazareth, she joined the track and field team aiming to continue in the footsteps of her two older siblings as a distance and cross country runner. An all-around athlete who also played basketball and soccer, she was strong. So her coach suggested throwing — and the javelin it was.

Her first throw in a high school meet was 85 feet. By the end of her high school career, she was throwing 145 feet. As a member of the Huskies track and field team, Leszcynski has continued to build on those distances in electrifying fashion. 

“I chose Bloomsburg because I knew I wanted to stay in Pennsylvania, and I wanted to play basketball,” says the middle-level math education major who just graduated. “I loved the coaches and the campus. The track coaches also reached out to me as well.”

Last spring, Leszcynski became a National champion for the Huskies at the NACCA DII championship held in Pueblo, Colorado, winning the title with a school-record throw of 52.07 meters (170' 10"), breaking her own school record she set at the qualifier with a throw of 50.40 meters.  

This year, Leszcynski is still throwing thunderbolts, capping the regular season by winning her second consecutive PSAC championship in the javelin with a throw of 47.05 meters (154-4). Her performance earned her one of 22 spots in the national championship, which will be held Saturday, May 23, at 1:30 p.m. in Kansas.

The first national champion for head coach Bernie Empie and the first national champion for the Bloomsburg women’s track and field team, Leszcynski is the second individual national champion for the Huskies, joining Justin Shirk, who won the javelin in 2012 with a throw of 71.90 meters (235' 11").

Throwing a “jav” is not a matter of just having a strong arm and shoulder. “You throw with your whole body,” says Leszcynski. “The technique is very specific — you want to get all of the energy into the javelin.” Honing that technique entails practicing and hour to an hour and a half each weekday to prepare for Saturday meets. Only Sundays are off.  

And the javs are not all the same. Though they all weight 600 grams (21 ounces) and are approximately 7.5 feet long, they are designed to be thrown different distances. “Some are more forgiving of a mistake in technique. As the athlete gets better, the javelin is stiffer, more unforgiving of technique mistakes, but able to go farther.” Leszcynski knows when she’s had a good throw before the javelin even lands. “You can just feel it when it all comes together. 

“At first I did the javelin because I was good at it. But as I get older, I am enjoying the sport more for its own sake and for the experiences it’s brought me.”

Leszcynski graduated on May 16, but because she was out for a season with an injury, she has another year of eligibility — and is looking ahead to even longer targets for herself.

“Throwing coach Marcus Disbrow is a professional hammer thrower and inspired me to think about Olympic trials in 2028.” With her trademark grin she adds, “I wasn’t too far off qualifying throws.” 

FOLLOW ALONG: Championship information, including the championship program, meet history, live results, and streaming information, will be available through the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships microsite.