Everyone who has been reading my articles over the years knows that I am an avid sports fan.

You might also know that I have a place in my heart for track and field, as all five of my children, my wife, and myself have competed in the sport, with three of my kids going on to compete in college.

Last year, my son and I had the opportunity to go to Eugene, Oregon, where he competed at the famed Hayward Field for the 2023 Nationals and competed in the U20 division — the same stadium where the Olympic Trials were held in recent months.

Imagine the most beautiful sports facilities you have ever seen. The most cutting-edge technology with a big screen the size of a city block. World-class athletes everywhere, mixing with the crowd. This was a scene that, in the United States, would normally be associated with money sports like football, basketball, or baseball. Except, this was for track and field.

So, besides venue, what does all of this have to do with the US Olympic Trials and the 2024 Olympics that are now taking place in Paris? Well, there was another local athlete that we ran into at the competition at Haywood Field last year that you may have heard of. If you didn’t know her then, you certainly should by now.

Like most sports communities, the better athletes get to know each other. Events such as Javelin are even more so. Not so coincidentally, the same year my son won boys’ PA states for Javelin in high school, Evie Bliss won girls’. Last year, Evie was also at Haywood Field to compete in the U20 division, and it was no surprise that she easily won.

In June of this year, Evie Bliss, a freshman at Bucknell, placed 6th in the US Olympic trials in Javelin. My family and I happened to be on vacation during the trials this year, making watching the trials difficult, but when we found out that Evie would be competing in the Javelin, we figured out a way to watch her compete, huddled around an iPad.

I remember having a conversation one time about Javelin with a non-athlete, and they surprised me by saying, “Isn’t it like pointing a stick and throwing hard?” I was actually shocked that they were completely unaware of the beauty of the event. The combination of grace and power but, more impressively, the psychological chess among the athletes. The only comparison I can make is that of a kicker in a packed stadium trying to score the game-winning point with all eyes on them. The pressure is unbelievable. In the case of the best throwers, they feed off that pressure and step up in a way that most of us never could. They get better as the competition gets tougher. And that is exactly what Evie Bliss did at the 2024 US Olympic trials, where she took 6th at the age of 19 in a stacked field of veteran throwers.

I reached out to Evie, and she was gracious enough to give me an interview. I would also like to say that you read it here first. I predict with the utmost certainty that we will see her at the Olympics one day.

Dave: Where are you originally from, and how and when did you get started in Javelin?

Evie: I am originally from Rimersburg, Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Pittsburgh. I started throwing the Javelin in my sophomore year of high school since everything was canceled my freshman year. My dad threw in high school and college, so he taught me the basics. We would throw a little turbo javelin around our yard, learning the basic form.

Dave: Please take me through the highlights of your high school jav career. I believe you won states the same year Peter did, and I remember we bumped into you at U20 nationals that year.

Evie: During high school, I finished second in PIAA states in my junior year throwing 140’, after not even making it to our district meet my sophomore year. I continued to throw in the postseason that summer, where I hit my throw of 151’7.25”, which ended up getting me committed to Bucknell. Going into my senior year, I set our school record several times, won my district meet, and broke the meet record. Then, at states, I won and broke the state record, setting it at 170’2”. Through all that, I qualified for the U20 National Championship, where I met Peter with my high school Coach, Ryan Bell. The U20s was an amazing experience. It was my first time out at Hayward Field. I had some great competition out there that helped me come out on top. I ended up winning that meet and qualifying for the U20 Pan-American games down in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. I got to represent Team USA with my teammate Shea Greene from Princeton. Pan-Ams was truly incredible. It was a good competition but getting to meet so many people from all over was inspiring. I finished with a Silver, and had a great competition with a PR (personal record).

Dave: What was the transition like going from a top high school prospect to competing in college for Bucknell?

Evie: I was very nervous. I was stepping into a whole new, highly competitive world. The D1 women’s javelin has gotten increasingly more competitive over the past several years, so I knew I really had to buckle down and commit to my training. Nothing was going to be quite like it was in high school, but I now had so many more resources at my disposal. I started seeing a sports psychologist, I had access to our recovery treatment room, plus I was getting a lot more coaching and lifting than I had previously.

Dave: I’m sure you had a lot of college recruiters approach you. Why choose Bucknell?

Evie: I was approached by several schools. I took visits to Bucknell, Duke, and UNC. I loved how Bucknell’s campus was laid out. However, Coach Protzman is actually from Moniteau which is a neighboring school from my high school so having a coach who truly understood where I came from was very comforting, and that ultimately led me to choose Bucknell.

Dave: -Walk me through your first season as a college athlete.

Evie: Coming in after the long, exciting season I had during the summer between my senior year and starting at Bucknell, Coach Protzman and I sat down and discussed the goals for my first season. I wanted to Win the Patriot League Championship, make it to NCAA Nationals, and Qualify for the trials. It is a long training season, and Javelin doesn’t really start till April at the earliest, so it was hard to stay dedicated and focused all winter as my teammates were competing. I was lucky Bucknell got into a meet-down in Florida the last week of March. I had my opener in Miami with a PR of 173’9”. This put me up within the top 48 to go to first rounds, which was my first step at making it to nationals. After that, I went back to training a lot. Coach P was very hesitant to have me throw in a lot of early meets because we were both anticipating having a long postseason, which ended up working out in our favor. I threw at our home meets and some travel ones, but my focus was on leagues. It was an amazing competition. Having the championship meet at home was also very comforting. The energy on and around the runway was electric. Winning the Leagues was so rewarding. It was what I had worked so hard for all year. I also earned Rookie of the Meet, which I didn’t even expect. From there on, I was determined to make nationals. I have a decent showing at the first rounds, finishing in the top 5 to continue. At Nationals, I knew it would probably be the highest-level competition I had seen yet. Something a lot of people do not realize is that the NCAA tends to be more competitive than just USA competition because of all the international athletes in the NCAA. I was happy with the experience I got at Nationals, but I was very far from satisfied. I felt as though I didn’t compete as well as I believed I could have, which made coming back for the Olympic trials all the more important. Even though I didn’t hit the qualifying standard of 54m to automatically qualify for the trials when the rankings were finalized, I was in the top 24 of the country, which meant that I could go. I was ecstatic. I stayed out in Eugene after nationals for U20 nationals to try to earn a spot on the U20 Worlds team that is going to Lima, Peru, in August. I struggled a bit there. My throws were not as good as I wanted them to be, and I really had to work to make finals and win it. I did earn the spot on the worlds team, but it was a huge learning experience for me and how I would handle my training between these two big meets.

Dave: When did you decide you wanted to go to the US Olympic trials?

Evie: I decided at the beginning of the school year that I wanted to try to make it. I had looked at the previous rankings from the year before and guessed on where approximately my current PR would place me. I knew I had to have a decent PR to definitively make it. I would say it was a goal from the very beginning.

Dave: What was it like competing at a venue like Haywood Field in Eugene, OR?

Evie: Hayward Field is so amazing. The amount of history it has is incomparable. Walking in each time never gets old but also walking out of the tunnel to a sold-out stadium is so emotional. You always hear about the Hayward Magic but to experience it is something else entirely. It will forever be my favorite place to compete at.

Dave: Were you nervous at all competing against Olympians like Kara Winger?

Evie: I was lucky enough to meet Kara the year before at U20s my senior year when she had “retired.” For me, I was meeting one of my idols, whose throws I watched trying to learn how to throw the Javelin. So, when I heard she was coming back for the trials, I was speechless. This meant that I got to throw against the person I strived to be. The whole week out there during practices or just walking around Hayward and seeing her, realizing that I was competing right there against her, was so inspiring. I don’t know if I was as nervous as I was starstruck!

Dave: One thing many people don’t understand about Javelin is that it is as much a test of grit and nerves as power and mechanics. You seemed to get better as the competition progressed. Am I correct that you hit a PR to make finals?

Evie: Yes, Javelin is as mental as it is physical. I hit a PR on my third throw on the second day to make it. I had two goals going into the trials. I wanted to PR, and I wanted to make the top 12 to get to the second day. I had a great first day. I matched my PR first throw, and PR’d my second throw, eventually making it to the second day.

Dave: What was it like coming in 6th at US Olympic trials in a stacked field as a 19-year-old college freshman?

Evie: Going into the second day I had accomplished both the goals I had set for myself. So, I felt that everything now was just extra. I wanted to have fun and just enjoy the moment of getting to throw against so many big names. My first two throws were decent. They put me in the top 8 to make it to the finals, but in between my second and third throws, I had two girls beat me. I realized I wasn’t ready to be done yet and that I really wanted to be in the top 8 of the country. Hitting my third throw, I knew it was big even before I saw the distance. I just hoped it was enough. Seeing the number 55.87m pop up on the board is a moment I will never forget. Running over to Coach P, I barely believed it. Here I was the youngest in the finals flight. I mean, Kara Winger competed in her first Olympic trials the year before I was born, and I had made the top 8. Not just that, but I was sitting 6th. I had finally felt that all the hard work I put in all year was worth it. Getting to see my parents afterward was also so emotional.

Dave: What’s next for you regarding future competitions?

Evie: I currently am still training for the U20 World Championships August 27-31st which are down in Lima Peru. I will get to represent Team USA again, and it is always such an honor to put on the uniform. Going into my second year, I am looking to defend my Patriot League title and compete well in some big open meets, but overall, I have my sights set on LA in 2028. I fully intend on going back to the trials in 2028 and making it to the Olympics in LA. I have a 4-year plan and have already started working towards that goal. It will be long, but the trials were just a taste of something I desperately want.

Dave: Is there a coach or anyone you would like to recognize?

Evie: I am so incredibly grateful to my parents and my brothers. They have been my biggest supporters since day one, and I would be nowhere without them. I am also so blessed to have teammates who are like a second family to me. The amount of messages and well wishes I got from them was overwhelming. Also, the Bucknell alumni have been my number-one fans, from the letters I have received from them to having a huge group out at the trials watching me. They were the best. Finally, if it hadn’t been for Coach Protzman, who sees more in me than I do myself, I wouldn’t be near the thrower I am today.