Resmer, the Salukis top javelin thrower, has trained all year awaiting the start of the outdoor track and field season, and Saturday at the University of Mississippi Open his training paid off. Resmer set a meet record with a first place toss of 190 feet 3 inches in the javelin competition.

Resmer said by the time the outdoor season starts, he and his fellow throwers are anxious to compete.

That’s how it is for [senior] Peter [Juszczyk] and [junior] Erik [Olsen] and me. We start training in August with the whole team, but they’re competing, Resmer said. Cross country starts first, then it’s the indoor track season and we’re still training. By the time it’s that first meet in March, we’re ready to throw.

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Resmer thought that the team’s decision to change meets from the University of Missouri to Mississippi would provide a better throwing atmosphere, but it actually created a tougher assignment for the team.

We switched hoping to get better weather conditions, Resmer said. It was actually colder down there, so that affected us a little bit.

Resmer hopes his long duration of training earlier in the year will help him improve throughout the season.

My ultimate goal is to qualify for nationals (219 feet 10 inches), Resmer said. Currently, I want to steadily improve in each meet by about 5 feet and just work on increasing my throws.

Resmer’s next task will come Saturday at the University of Alabama, where he will compete against the 1997 NCAA javelin champion Mats Nilisson from Alabama.

Other top performers for the Salukis were sophomore Eric Rushing, who also set a meet record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a first place time of 9 minutes 31.19 seconds.

Junior Joseph Parks finished first in the 5,000-meter run (14:43.29), sophomore Michael Sandusky had a first-place finish in the shot put (51 feet 4.5 inches), sophomore Matt McClelland placed first in the 1,500-meter run (4:06.03), and freshman Chris Owen followed him in at second (4:06.24).

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Freshman Brandon Dell’Aringa placed first in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.15 seconds) followed by sophomore Charles Stelk (15.22 seconds). Senior Orlando McKee placed second in the long jump (22 feet 4 inches) for the Salukis.

The men’s track and field team will compete next weekend at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.