JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore James Kotowski (Stoneham, Mass.) closed out an impressive javelin season this afternoon at the NCAA Division I Track & Field East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Fla.

Kotowski was the lone River Hawk to compete on Wednesday, kicking off the four days of events. Returning for his second consecutive NCAA East Preliminaries to start his career, Kotowski qualified after an America East Conference record-breaking performance at the America East Championships, throwing 71.78m. 

He finished 20th overall in his final event of the season on Wednesday, tossing a distance of 66.34m against some of the best competition in the country. He ends his season with not only multiple personal records broken, but both the conference and school records as well. He also walks away from the 2023 outdoor season as a Penn Relays Champion and both an America East Individual and Team Champion. 

"James had a massively successful season," commented Head Coach Gary Gardner. "Today he got a little in front of himself on his throws. Against the best competition in the NCAA, you need to be at 100% and can't afford any little errors."

Kotowski will return as a junior next season, seeking another outstanding and decorated year. The NCAA East Preliminaries will continue until Saturday, and three more River Hawks will compete to qualify for June's NCAA Championships.