South Park senior, javelin thrower Bill Stanley among the best
(Photo: Bill Stanley (5 feet 10, 190 pounds) has been setting school and invitational records all spring. Rebecca Droke/Post-Gazette.)
"Bill Stanley had some success throwing a javelin, but he always thought his arm was best suited to throw baseballs. As a pitcher and outfielder in junior high, he could throw a baseball far -- and hard. • So it was no surprise that as a high school freshman, Stanley thumbed his nose at throwing a javelin in track and field, and gave a thumbs-up to baseball. Then a year later, he changed throwing motions for good, putting down his baseball for a javelin. • But he never stopped throwing far.
Stanley is now a senior at South Park High School and only one high school athlete in the country throws a javelin farther than him. At minimum, he is likely the best javelin thrower in the history of the WPIAL. Really, he is that good.
Stanley (5 feet 10, 190 pounds) has been setting school and invitational records all spring. His throw of 221 feet, 3 inches in a dual meet a few weeks ago already was the second best in the country before last weekend. Then he went to Philadelphia and set a Penn Relays high school record Friday with a throw of 223-1. It was the highlight of Stanley's career so far because the Penn Relays is a prestigious invitational that includes some of the best track and field athletes in the eastern part of the country. To put the mark in perspective, it would be the 31st-best throw in NCAA Division I colleges this spring."
