ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Wednesday afternoon marked the javelin throw portion of the 2026 NAIA Track and Field Championships in Asheville, N.C. 
 
Freshman sensation Koltyn Kaniper entered the afternoon holding the No. 1 position in the nation in the event with a throw of 69.20m. He opened the competition with a throw of 61.51m, followed by his best throw of the day, 63.99m. That throw earned him a 3^rd place finish, capping off what may very well be the best freshman season in program history.
 
Head Track and Field Coach Aaron Yoder had high praise for Kaniper's performance, "I have been very impressed coaching a highly technical and resilient student-athlete like Koltyn. He entered the season after suffering an injury during his senior year of high school and I knew as soon as he stepped foot on campus that he would be hungry to compete well and perform at a high level. It has been a great joy to coach someone as driven as Koltyn."
 
"We are extremely proud of how Koltyn performed and handled the pressure going into the NAIA National Championships. The experience of the national level competition is invaluable, and we are excited to see what his sophomore year will hold."
 
Overall, Kaniper threw over 30 national qualifying marks and won every meet leading up to the NAIA National Championships. He broke the school record five times and broke the KCAC record three times. He finished with three of the top five throws in the NAIA and recorded the top throw in the NAIA (69.20m) at the Shocker Open.
 
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Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).