Ludwick Takes 38th in Javelin at NCAA First Round

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Creighton's Jacob Ludwick threw the javelin more than 200 feet on Wednesday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas, but it wasn't enough to advance the Bluejay standout to the final round of the NCAA Championships in two weeks.

Ludwick's first throw went 61.21 meters (200' 10"), good for fifth in his heat of 12 competitors. He faulted on his next two throws, then had to play the waiting game as 36 more of the nation's best javelin throwers took their turn. In the end, Ludwick finished roughly seven meters from moving on. Seeded 48th in the West Region, Ludwick exceeded the expectations to finish 38th.

"Jacob competed really well today," said head coach Chris Gannon. "We didn't get the big PR throw we were hoping for and we know is ready to happen. He was the last qualifier in the field, so to come and beat guys ranked ahead of him, is a great accomplishment for his first trip to NCAA's."

The Clay Center, Kan., native qualified for the NCAA's thanks to his career-long throw of 64.43 meters (211' 5") on April 11th at the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa. He threw 57.89 meters on May 17th at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships to place third and become CU's first field athlete to earn All-BIG EAST accolades. It was the latest in a season of first's for Ludwick, who is the program's first modern javelin thrower. He also became the program's first BIG EAST Track & Field Athlete of the Week on May 13th.

Ludwick was a three-time All-American at Ottawa (Kan.) University in the javelin. He was fifth at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2022 with a throw of 60.88 meters. He then took seventh in 2023 (60.89 meters) before improving to fourth place in 2024 (62.82 meters).

Ludwick is the second track and field athlete in program history to qualify for the postseason. Creighton's first runner to qualify for NCAA Championships was Tommy Ward,. who ran in the 800 meters at the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Ward ended up finishing 42nd in the West Region.

Creighton ran their first official NCAA track season since 1961 during the spring of 2022 as a distance-based track program, utilizing the cross country roster. Led by head coach Chris Gannon and assistant Matthew Fayers, the Bluejays competed in their first BIG EAST Championships last May and more than doubled their point total at the 2025 event last week.

"Jacob qualifying and competing in the First Round is another big moment for our program," said Gannon. "This just our fourth season since reinstating track at Creighton. When you look back at what has been accomplished during that short time, it is pretty special. We have a goal to just keep building on this success and writing more history."

In NCAA Track and Field, the top 12 competitors in each individual event, including javelin, from both Regional meets advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Those will take place at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 11-14. The javelin competition will take place on June 11th at 7:15 p.m. Central.

Players Mentioned

Jacob Ludwick

Tommy Ward

Players Mentioned

Jacob Ludwick

Tommy Ward