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The season is not quite over for Bobby Colantonio.
In fact, you might say it's just getting started.
The Barrington HIgh senior competed for the last time as a high-schooler this past Sunday when he breezed to the individual title in the hammer throw at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Championships. His winning toss of 240 feet, 1 inch was nearly 30 feet further than the second-place finisher. His dominating performance at NBNO is nothing new, though. It has been status quo for the Eagle standout, who was undefeated this year in his specialty and easily won his third straight state crown and the New England title a few weeks ago.
That should all change this weekend for Colantonio. The competition will be a lot stiffer as he begins his "extended" season this Friday at the USATF Junior T&F Nationals at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Calif. Colantonio will be looking to defend last year's title when he beat former teammate Adam Kelly with a state and New England record of 240-6 for the 6 kg. apparatus. Kelly, who just completed a successful freshman campaign at Princeton University, will also be making the cross-country trip.
Colantonio, who will attend the University of Alabama this fall, has big expectations for the elite meet.
"To be honest, I want to match my PR for the 12-pound hammer," said the recent Barrington grad, who owns a best of 251-2. "I think it's within reach. I want to get into the upper 240s, low 250s."
If Colantonio can match what he did in 2015 with another victory, he'll earn a trip to Bydgoszck, Poland for the IAAF World U20 Championships (formerly called the IAAF World Junior Championships), July 19-24. At last year's meet, held in Columbia, he was fifth overall at 242-1.
Colantonio's toughest rival this weekend is his former teammate Kelly, who won the national high school crown last year. In his first collegiate season, the multiple all-stater and All-American finished second at the Ivy League Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships, where he earned second-team All-American honors by placing 14th overall. He had a best of 221-5.5 for the 16-pound hammer.
Colantonio will certainly have momentum on his side. He's fresh off his second national title (he also won the indoor weight) where he had a 240-plus heave despite not being 100 percent. He got his winning toss on his first throw in the preliminaries.
"My knee kind of flared up," said Colantonio, who admitted he has been dealing with an ongoing knee problem. "It kind of hindered my performance. But it was good I was still able to throw 240 feet and win by more than 20 feet. My first two warm-ups weren't right. I took it easy the first throw and was able to get a good distance."
Colantonio, who will also be competing against another former teammate at the meet, Troy University freshman Mike Alvernaz. knows it will be a lot different competing at the Junior Nationals than what he's experienced at the high school level, especially with Kelly in the field.
"It's kind of weird," he said. "The whole season I have been competing against myself. Basically, I am going to go into this meet the same way, like I'm competing against myself and let the cards fall where they do."
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The women's hammer, set for Saturday, will also feature three from the Ocean State. Toll Gate's Courtney Jacobsen, who recently finished third a the New Balance Nationals, is scheduled to compete. Former Classical star, Alva Hicks (Wake Forest) and Narragansett alum, Carly Timpson (Quinnipiac), will also be making the trip out west.