Local athlete Christopher White wins another national championship

Del Mar resident Christopher White captured first place at the 2019 USA Track and Field Hershey National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships with a javelin throw of 64.15 meters. Competing in Sacramento last week, White qualified and competed in three throwing events: shot, discus and javelin for 17/18 year old men. White earned the ability to compete in all three events by winning javelin and discus in qualifying San Diego/Imperial Association and Region 15 Regional meets and finishing in the top five for shot.

At the Junior Olympics, White was a 17-year-old throwing with 17 and 18 year olds from around the country. His mark from Regionals placed White #12 entering the javelin for this national meet so his first three throws put him in first place for the event with a flight of the higher ranked athletes throwing after him. In the muggy but still heat of Sacramento, White entered the finals in second place. Throwing now with the eight best competitors in the finals, White’s first throw took over first place and his remaining throws of 63. 25 and 64.15 meters solidified his lead, throwing 6 meters farther than his nearest competitor and setting a new personal best mark for White.

Chris White on the podium.

(Courtesy)

White’s national championship follows his winning of the javelin at the 2018 USA Track and Field Hershey National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships competing as a 15/16 boy.

At the recent California Games, held in San Diego July 13-14, White again took gold for the 17/18 men’s javelin, setting a new meet record and repeats his performance at these same games last year where he won the 15/16 men’s javelin and again set a meet record.

White trains javelin and throws with Coach Erl Cabanas of Team Edge and traveled with his coach to his first international competition this summer in Finland. White attends The Grauer School in Encinitas where he participates in track and field as well as basketball. The Grauer School has teamed with Horizon Prep of Rancho Santa Fe for CIF sports. This year as a junior, White made it to CIF finals in both shot and discus as well as 110m hurdles, working with Horizon Prep’s new track coach Kristi McGihon.

White discovered javelin while in elementary school by attending a summer track and field camp held by his Del Mar Heights Elementary School PE teacher Ian Phillip. He joined local track club Millennium Xpress and threw there several years before heading to Italy where he practiced with a youth track club in Florence. Upon returning, he spent a season with STEP Academy until he found Coach Cabanas, whose specialty is javelin.

Chris and mom Katherine White standing by the marquis with his winning mark.

(Courtesy)