UML’s Kotowski Lets It Fly at U.S. Olympic Trials

06/25/2024
By Ed Brennen

In a season full of school records and personal bests, UMass Lowell javelin thrower James Kotowski ’24 saved the best throw of his life for his biggest moment.

Competing in the final round of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Kotowski unleashed a throw of 75.69 meters (248 feet, 4 inches). The new personal record (PR) was good for fifth place — just 3.5 meters behind the third-place finisher and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

“I kept telling myself to just have fun and be confident in my abilities. Remaining calm and relaxed before every throw definitely helped me get the throws that I wanted,” says Kotowski, a mechanical engineering grad from Stoneham, Massachusetts.

A groin injury prevented Kotowski from qualifying for this season’s NCAA Division I track and field championships, which were also held at Hayward Field. He was excited to get another shot at the venue, an experience he describes as “surreal.”

“I spent as much time as I could taking in everything I was fortunate enough to experience, along with all the special athletes I was surrounded by,” says Kotowski, who was joined at the trials by Assoc. Head Coach Allyson Waruch, Asst. Coach Barbara Smith and several family members.

“For him to PR at the biggest meet in the country was amazing to watch,” Waruch says. “All his hard work and diligent rehabbing paid off. We could not be more proud of him.”

Kotowski qualified for the Olympic trials during a stellar spring season for the River Hawks, when he twice broke his own school record and received the Lester H. Cushing Award as UML’s top male athlete. At the George Davis Invitational at the Cushing Field Complex in April, he recorded a personal-best toss of 75.07 meters (246 feet, 3 inches — about four-fifths the length of a football field).

“All my throws felt really good in warmups,” says Kotowski, who fed off the juice of the home crowd. “There’s more energy here with a bunch of people around the runway. It’s fun.”

Two throws later, however, Kotowski ruptured his groin. He rehabbed the injury and was able to compete a month later at the NCAA East Preliminary Championship meet in Lexington, Kentucky. His throw of 67.37 meters was good for 13th place — one spot out of qualifying for the NCAA championships.

“I just wasn't at my full strength, so nothing felt right. But I was glad I was able to get there,” says Kotowski, whose disappointment was soothed by the fact that he still had the Olympic trials ahead of him.

How did Kotowski become a javelin thrower?

“I always liked throwing things as a kid,” says Kotowski, who remembers skipping rocks into the ocean with his grandfather in Maine.

Kotowski grew up playing baseball, putting his strong arm to use as a center fielder. He joined the track and field team in high school and did his first decathlon as a sophomore. Despite having no practice, he threw the javelin more than 35 meters, impressing his coaches and making it his main event.

After his senior season at Stoneham High School was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kotowski chose to attend UML because of the strength of the engineering program — with hopes of joining the track and field team as a sophomore. During the lockdown, he spent a lot of time pumping iron in the weight room his father had set up in their house.

“There was nothing much else to do, so I figured I’d put my time into something useful,” Kotowski says.

The work paid off, as Kotowski earned a spot on UML’s track and field team during his tryout with Smith, who primarily works with River Hawk throwers. 

In his college debut, Kotowski set a personal record with a throw of 54 meters. He noticed, though, that Smith wasn’t congratulating him. In his next meet, he broke the school record with a throw of 65 meters.

“That’s when I realized that Barb knew I had more in me,” says Kotowski, who only continued to improve for the River Hawks, winning the Penn Relays and setting a conference record at the America East Championship during his junior year — and earning an athletic scholarship along the way.

“As an engineering major, James understands hard work. As an athlete, he has a natural gift,” Smith says. “Over the last three seasons, he has honed that gift through practice and hard work, to the point that he exceeded all expectations. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished.”

Head Coach Gary Gardner is glad that Kotowski still has a year of eligibility remaining and will return to the team next season while pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management.

“James worked incredibly hard year-round to improve. It’s been great to see him take a step forward every year,” Gardner says.

“I’m happy they gave me an opportunity,” says Kotowski, who has his sights set on an NCAA championship berth next year.

While he didn’t qualify for the Paris Olympics, Kotowski plans to watch on TV like he always does and cheer on the U.S. throwers.

“It’ll be much cooler knowing I was almost there,” he says.