By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

In just his second year throwing the javelin for the Goffstown High School track team, junior Chris Morgan advanced to the New England Interscholastic Track and Field Championships in Saco, Maine, where he finished 22nd in the region. (Jerry Liptak Photo)

GOFFSTOWN - The javelin throw is his spring sport of choice. And the logic behind Chris Morgan's love for the track and field event is actually quite simple.

"It's just fun to do," said Morgan, 16, a junior at Goffstown High. "I love to stick with it."

How appropriate. He loves to stick with it. Truth be told, Morgan spent much of the spring season sticking it to the state's top competition.

Standing tall at 6 feet, 4 inches, Morgan compiled some pretty impressive tosses in 2005. He earned second place honors and eight points for GHS at the Class L state meet, throwing the javelin 166 feet.

The toss registered the longest distance among local athletes.

Thanks to his accomplishment at Class L's, Morgan qualified for the Meet of Champions, where he placed fifth. His throw of 161-09 was again the best among local competitors.

Not bad for an athlete in just his second season of spring track.

To think, he might.ve never tried throwing the javelin if he wasn't on the way to the barber 's shop.

Oh, now you.re really scratching your head, right?

"Freshman year, I was walking to get a haircut," Morgan said. "I saw someone throwing the javelin at Barnard Park. It looked pretty cool and I thought I'd try it."

Morgan said it was too late in the season to join the team as a ninth-grader. But the following spring as a sophomore, he was still very interested in giving the javelin a shot - or a toss, actually.

Also the soccer team's goalie, the football team's place kicker and a member of both the basketball team and indoor track squad, Morgan said throwing the javelin continues to help sharpen the athletic skills necessary for finding success in other sports.

"You need a lot of form; probably the most form (of any sport I play)," Morgan said. "Even more than as a soccer goalie, which takes a lot of form, too."

Like a pitcher who only throws with his arm instead of using his legs, hips and chest to generate power, Morgan said his throwing technique needed to be tweaked.

Competing at the Junior Olympics last year, Morgan said he didn't throw too well. His father filmed him and suggested making some changes to his motion.

"Before, I was using more of my elbow," he said. "I'd get home and notice my arm was pretty sore. I'd have to relax it for a little while just to get it better."

Last August at a track and field camp in New Jersey, Morgan said he received several great coaching tips from Olympian Tom Petranoff. The suggestions all dealt with using more of his body in his throws.

And there was no question the javelin traveled greater distances, he added.

"It jumped from, like, 145 feet to the 170s," Morgan said. "And now my arm doesn't hurt. That's definitely a plus.

"Because of my form, sometimes I can feel it's gonna be a good throw before it leaves my hand," he added. "Sometimes it feels like I didn't even throw it. It's just effortless."

Effortless or not, Morgan's best throw at the M of C resulted in a fifth-place finish and an invite to the 60th annual New England Interscholastic Track and Field Championships in Saco, Maine, on Saturday, June 11.

The lone GHS representative, Morgan finished 22nd overall with a throw of 155-01. The top toss, turned in by a Rhode Island resident, was 201 feet.

Prior to leaving for Maine, Morgan admitted where he finished among the region's best mattered little. He just wanted to continue sharpening his skills while sharing a few laughs with friends from other New Hampshire schools.

"Hey, I made it (to New Englands)," he said. "I'm a fan of a lot of those athletes. And they.re probably fans of me. It just goes around."