Another Rathdrum throwin' party

In its third edition, the IronWood Throws Classic, which attracts the top throwers in the U.S. — high school, collegiate and beyond — to little ol’ Rathdrum, Idaho, keeps getting bigger.

This year’s event will be two days instead of one — scheduled for June 2 and 3 at the IronWood Training Center, also known as “1620,” because the address of throws guru Bart Templeman’s 10-acre compound is 1620 Highway 53 in Rathdrum.

And there will now be four events instead of three — the javelin has been added, to go along with the discus, shot put and hammer throw.

“Just yesterday they finished the javelin runway,” Templeman said. “I have the only private javelin runway in the state, probably.”

The javelin event was added, in part, Templeman said, because he’s working with youths that are budding heptathletes and decathletes, “and there’s no place for them to do that here.”

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“We would like to bring the javelin back in the state of Idaho,” Templeman said, noting all the surrounding states — Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana — offer the javelin in high school, but Idaho hasn’t had the javelin in high school for some 60 years.

Competition will begin Friday at 3 p.m. with the javelin, followed by the discus.

It will resume Saturday at 2 p.m., with the shot put, then the hammer throw.

Plans are for the women to throw first in each event, followed by the men, with high schoolers mixed in with each.

Among the top men scheduled to participate are former Oregon product Cyrus Hostetler, a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 2012, and currently the No. 1 javelin thrower in the nation: Jon Jones, a silver medalist in the shot put at this year’s USA indoors; and Lance Brooks, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the discus.

Among the women coming are Gia Lewis-Smallwood, who holds the American record in the discus (226-11); Gwen Berry, the world record holder in the women’s weight throw, and the American record holder in the hammer; and Valarie Allman of Stanford, the top discus thrower in the nation at 212 feet.

Heading the field of high school throwers is Turner Washington, ranked No. 1 in the nation in the discus at 227-10, 9 feet short of the national record. He is coached by his dad, Anthony Washington, the men’s discus world champion in 1999.

“Everyone who’s coming is at least top-five in the nation,” said Jarred Rome, director of the IronWood Throwers Camp started by Templeman and Bud Rasmussen in 1989, who is in charge of recruiting the throwers to next weekend’s event.

For the post-collegiate throwers, a purse of $8,000 is offered — $500 for first place, $300 for second, $200 for third for men and women in each of the four events.

Some bleachers will be set up, and fans are also encouraged to bring their own chairs. Concessions will be available. Fans are advised to arrive at least a half-hour early, and a parking area will be available near the facility, located on the corner of Ramsey Road and Highway 53.

The first IronWood Throws Classic, in 2014, featured men only. Women and high school throwers were added last year for the second edition.

“This is the most premier, exclusive throwing meet in the nation, hands down,” Rome said.

And it’s mostly because of Templeman.

“Bart is just absolutely amazing,” Rome said. “For him to build this facility, host this meet ...

“What he does for throwers, nobody does this in the nation. He’s one of a kind.”