High-School Athlete Hit By Javelin Is Improving

The condition of high-school athlete struck in the head by a javelin during warmups at the state track championships Saturday in Tacoma has been upgraded to serious.

The director of interscholastic athletics in the state said he will name a panel this week to investigate the accident and determine whether procedures need to be changed for future state meets.

James Phillips, 17, of Marysville-Pilchuck High School was listed in serious condition last night at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a skull fracture. A nursing supervisor said he was conscious and talking and was not paralyzed.

The high-school junior was moved to Harborview yesterday afternoon from Madigan Army Medical Center in Pierce County. He had undergone surgery at Madigan after being taken to the Fort Lewis hospital from the track meet.

Phillips was struck in the head by a javelin on which the end was capped for safety at the 4A javelin event. The steel spear struck Phillips in the head, bounced off and knocked him over.

The event was part of the 3A-4A track meet Saturday at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. The javelin event was held at an adjacent park.

Marcos Bolanos, a senior at Cascade High School in Everett, threw the javelin that hit Phillips. At the time Phillips was hit, throwers were scattered about the playfield, warming up.

Bolanos said Saturday that he yelled "Watch out!" when he realized his throw might hit Phillips. He said Phillips turned toward the incoming javelin just before he was struck.

"We've never had something like this happen before," said Mike Colbrese, executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

The panel is expected to review whether the event was supervised properly and whether it should be moved to another site.

For years the javelin portion of the meet had been held at the University of Puget Sound, but it was moved to the park next to Lincoln High School about five years ago.

Colbrese said he expects the panel to study how other states conduct the javelin at their state meets.

Because of safety concerns, many states don't offer the javelin as a track-and-field event. In fact, some Washington districts, such as the Seattle School District, don't offer it. Colbrese said he doesn't think the javelin is in jeopardy as a Washington event.