‘Absolutely mindboggling.’ Easton’s Torres an All-American at New Balance Nationals (2024)

It took Easton graduate Collin Torres seven meets from his javelin debut to being an All-American.

That kind of progress is almost unheard of, but Torres made sure everybody heard it with his performance at the New Balance outdoor track and field championships Sunday at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Torres threw a personal-best by almost 10 feet at 198 feet, 1 inch to finish fourth in the tournament and earn All-American status (top eight). That is an Easton school record.

“It’s absolutely mindboggling,” Torres said. “The atmosphere was great; the weather was perfect. I was talking to my dad, and I told him that if you’d told me as a sophom*ore in high school, I’d be an All-American in an any sport, I’d have thought it would be in football. Now here I am standing with a track and field national medal around my neck.”

The throw is the best in the lehighvalleylive region this spring – not bad for a first-year athlete.

“I didn’t have a clue I’d be (this good) when I started in March,” Torres said.

Torres came to Philadelphia better prepared than for any meet this season.

“(Easton throwing coach Tony) Villante and I made a lot of changes since states,” said Torres, who finished sixth at the PIAA 3A championship with a throw of 184-10 in May. “We figured out I had to start my crossover (from running to throwing) at 39 feet from the toe bar, and to make sure my plant leg was better. We have been repping that every day, to make that distance (39 feet) instinctive – when to stop and start. The last three weeks have made such a difference. At states, I was barely moving compared to the other guys. Now I have a lot more speed.”

Which translates to a lot more distance, and consistency, as his Sunday series showed.

“My first throw was 181 feet, and then I qualified for the finals at 188-11,” Torres said. “Then I threw the PR at 198-1 and then a 197-11. I was a little disappointed, I did foul twice and the fouls came on two of my more powerful throws. That was a little frustrating but I chalk it up to experience. I was really happy with the series. I was happy I beat myself today – I knew I was competing against some of the best guys in the entire nation (Rhode Island resident Scott Sloan won at 206-6). I have to be proud of what I accomplished. All thanks to God and all the glory for that, my lord and savior Jesus Christ made it all possible.”

Torres will now join the team at the U.S. Military Academy on July 1.

“I am really excited about that,” he said. “We’ll do weightlifting and then throw in the spring., I am looking forward to throwing a lot more feet.”

Also in the javelin, Whitehall’s Thomas Lloyd threw 171-5.

“Tommy and I became friends at states,” Torres said. “We warmed up together today; it was very cool.”

On the track, in the field

Elsewhere at the New Balance meet on Sunday, North Hunterdon’s 1,600-meter girls relay of Norah Brown, Leah Rudolph, Maura Green, and Danielle DiEsso ran 3:55.86 and Parkland’s team of Cierra Valley, Lucy Tobia, Kaley Seide, Addison Shevlin ran 3:58.44, both off their bests by a second or less. The Trojan boys 1,600 relay -- Alexander Kelchner, Nathaniel Janukowicz, Anthony Cappellini, and Tyler Rothrock -- ran 3:26.89.

Easton’s boys team of Jadon Furey, Murad Carter, Joshua Ayanwole, and Jayden Ekoko posted a 1:12.07 time in the boys’ 4 x 110-meter shuttle hurdles. Ekoko went 21 feet, 2½ inches in the long jump. Southern Lehigh’s Jack Inglis jumped 21-8 in the long jump.

Northwestern Lehigh’s Gavin Nelson jumped 6-4 in the high jump.

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Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com.