EUGENE, Ore. – UT Arlington javelin thrower Arthur Petersen wrapped up a standout freshman season for the Mavericks on Wednesday night by finishing in 11th place at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships from Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
 
Facing rainy conditions amidst low-60-degree temperatures, Petersen was the first of the 24 competitors to throw as he led off heat one of two with a delivery of 69.69m (228-7). That mark stood up all the way through the first round of the first heat of 12 as Petersen was in 1st place entering the second round of throws.

Arthur leads off the event with a throw of 69.69m (228-7).#MavUp💨 || #NCAATF || #SunBeltOTF pic.twitter.com/Fd5oaA7k3z

— UTA Track&Field/XC (@UTAMavsTFXC) June 10, 2021

His second throw nearly equaled his first as it went 68.24m (223-11), and the Denmark native still resided at the top of the standings through two rounds.
 
Sun began to peak through the Pacific Northwest clouds before Petersen's third, and ultimately final, throw. However, that was his shortest of the competition as it landed 65.30m (214-3) away from where it left his right hand.
 
Despite that, Petersen only slid down to 3rd place following the conclusion of the heat as a pair of competitors surpassed him on their final attempts.
 
However, in heat two several throwers out-distanced Petersen, who eventually slid to the aforementioned 11th place after the entire 24-person field threw three rounds, and he did not advance to throw in the final three rounds.
 
"Arthur had a tremendous freshman season," said UTA head coach John Sauerhage. "It obviously wasn't the ending we wanted to see, but to reach the NCAA Championships in his first try is a great achievement, and Arthur should be proud. He has better throws in his future, and we're excited to see what he's capable of moving forward."
 
Despite the 11th-place finish, Petersen still completed a brilliant first full season as a Maverick. The freshman won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, and shattered the program record book by delivering the best throw all-time with a distance of 77.75m (255-1) at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March.
 
By comparison, the national championship winning throw on Wednesday by LSU's Tzuriel Pedigo went 76.98m (252-7).
 
UTA still has an opportunity to bring home an individual national champion this year when Bryson DeBerry competes in the high jump on Friday, June 11, commencing at 6:30 p.m. Central (4:30 Pacific). The senior will be looking to become the fourth individual national champion in program history (indoor and outdoor combined).
 
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