They met for the first time last week on the Oakmont Regional track ‒ two record holders separated by 43 years, Oakmont senior Travis Rusak and Oakmont alum and Hall of Famer Charlie Smith from the Class of 1981.
Something quite remarkable had happened, and it was fitting the two track stars should get together. Late last month at Quabbin Regional, Rusak tossed the javelin 182 feet, 9 inches, breaking Smith’s mark by 6 inches.
Smiling and looking a little in awe during their first-time meeting, Rusak shook hands with the 61-year-old Smith, who held the Spartans’ javelin record for 43 years.
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“This is really cool,” Rusak told Smith. “I’ve been looking at your javelin record on the board in the high school hall since my freshman year.”
The 6-foot-4 Smith, still rugged and still looking as if he could fling the javelin a long way, congratulated Rusak and said to him, “There wasn’t a year that went by when I wasn’t thinking about someone breaking that record. Now, my name’s coming off the board. It kind of grabs you. But I hope it lasts a long time for you too.”
Before joining Rusak on the Oakmont track, Smith took a tour of the Oakmont High halls with Athletic Director Eric Dawley , who pointed out the track record board and also Smith’s Hall of Fame plaque from his induction in 2015. After graduating from Oakmont, Smith threw javelin and discus at UMass-Amherst.
Thinking back over more than four decades, Smith, who lives in Westminster and owns his own lumber business, recalled former Oakmont track coach Bob Weeks , encouraging him throughout the spring of 1981 and convincing him that he could break the previous javelin record set in 1963. Smith, who also starred in football and basketball at Oakmont, finished seventh at the 1981 state outdoor track meet and ninth at the New England Meet.
“Charlie has always been a great supporter of Oakmont and our athletic program,” said Dawley. “To have his record last 43 years speaks volumes, and for Travis to break it is pretty special.”
The oldest outdoor track record in Oakmont history is Dave Wyman’s high jump of 6 feet, 6 inches established in 1977.
The son of Brian and Tina Rusak of Westminster, Travis, who starred at center-back last fall for the Spartans’ very successful soccer team, will enroll at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. in September and throw javelin for the Div. 1 Raiders.
“Travis is a super hard worker and he’ll have a great career at Colgate,” said Dawley.
“I always had the school record in the back of my mind, but I was not anticipating 180 feet this year,” said Rusak, who reached 150 feet last season. He first picked up a javelin as a freshman half-way through the outdoor season.
“I got excited last year with the distance I was throwing, moving up to a personal best of 156 feet, and then I got kind of obsessed with trying to get even better with training and lifting weights over the winter,” said Rusak, who also watched hundreds of YouTube videos of top javelin throwers and other instructional videos.
“Travis really did a lot of research on all aspects of the javelin throw, and that’s impressive,” said Oakmont co-head coach John Margarita .
As an example, when asked about the men’s world record javelin throw, Rusak quickly had the answer: Jan Zelezny , 323 feet in 1996. He added, “Javelins have changed a lot since then, though.”
Explaining his throwing technique, Rusak said, “I used to take five straight steps to start, but I cut that to four this year. Then it’s three cross-over steps before I stride and let the javelin go while trying to stay level and balanced while landing.”
“It’s amazing how Travis has progressed from his sophomore to junior years, upping his distance quickly to 150 feet and to where he is now,” said Margarita. “He’s a great athlete, but he’s also worked very hard, even buying his own javelin and throwing on his own all last summer. He’s definitely put the time in.”
Added Oakmont head co-coach Paul Giacobbe , “Travis is everything you want in a senior captain. He’s a vocal leader and also a leader by example. I wouldn’t be surprised if he broke his own record this season.”
Giacobbe was right on the spot at Quabbin late last month when Rusak’s throw soared high and straight before spiking into the turf, breaking Smith’s record. After being given the distance, Giacobbe announced the measurement loudly and clearly.
“It was kind of a weird day,” recalled Rusak. “It was pretty good weather when I threw, but about five minutes later it started to rain.”
And when the record distance was announced?
“That was a really good feeling,” Rusak said. “I started screaming and jumping up and down and then I ran toward Coach Gio. I meant to give him a hug, but I ended up giving him a chest bump.”
And seconds later, Rusak was receiving all kinds of hugs and high-fives and chest bumps from his Oakmont teammates. An understandable celebration. After 43 years, a new Oakmont javelin record was set.
Rusak, a National Honor Society student in the classroom and tri-captain for the Spartans this spring, along with Aiden Cleves and Izaiah De Jesus , will compete in the state championship meet early next month and the Nationals at the University of Pennsylvania in mid June.
“Travis is an amazing teammate, especially because of his commitment,” said De Jesus, a talented long distance runner for the Spartans. “He shows up with a positive attitude every day, always motivating all of us. I just love that guy.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tgsports.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: A pair of generational javelin throwers meet up as Oakmont's Rusak surpasses mark set by Hall of Famer Smith
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