Paulsen pours passion into javelin throw

Luke Paulsen's path to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships wasn't exactly expected. The Morningside junior ever envisioned himself throwing the javelin for the Mustangs track and field program.

Now, after three years of steady growth and buying into the event, Paulsen is headed to Asheville, North Carolina, to compete on the national stage Wednesday.

When Paulsen first arrived at Morningside, head coach Frank Wallace and throws coach Stan Simpson saw potential because of the arm strength he developed playing football and baseball at Woodbury Central High School. At first, discussions centered around the discus before the javelin quickly became the better fit.

"He's got an arm on him," Wallace said. "Our throws coach Stan (Simpson) saw something special in Luke. Luke bought into it and now he's going to nationals for it."

Once Paulsen discovered the event, he dove all in.

"I know what I expect out of myself," Paulsen said. "I definitely became a nerd about javelin. I'm super competitive. When I find something new, I think it's really fun to try and push myself and prove that I can be just as good at this as everybody else. Not having javelin in high school, it made it even more competitive because I'm facing guys who have been doing this their whole life."

Paulsen's attention to detail became part of his development. He kept notes during competitions and tracked how many throws he had left throughout the season.

"I guess you could compare (throwing the javelin) to baseball, but the only thing different about the throwing motion is you're not really as over the top as you think you'd be," Paulsen said. "So my elbow doesn't hurt as much."

The progress followed quickly.

Paulsen opened his collegiate javelin career with a throw of 115 feet, 7 inches at the 2024 Wayne State Invite. This spring, he surpassed that mark by more than 70 feet, highlighted by a personal-best throw of 196 feet at the Mount Marty Twilight on April 22.

A major reason for that jump has been his dedication outside of competition. This season, Paulsen has made multiple trips to Iowa City to train with former Big Ten All-American Mike Stein.

"He's a vessel of information," Paulsen said. "It's been a grind, and a lot of gas, but it's all been worth it. It's just like hanging out with one of my friends."

All of it has happened while balancing another sport.

Paulsen is also Morningside's starting punter and helped the Mustangs return to the national football playoffs this past fall. He punted 38 times during the season and averaged 34.6 yards per punt.

Being a two-sport athlete is something Paulsen has embraced, especially with support from both Wallace and head football coach Steve Ryan.

"Without both of their support, I wouldn't be here," Paulsen said.