COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: HT – 214-8 (65.43m), Javelin – 230-5 (70.23m), WT – 69-4.75 (21.15m)
CAREER AWARDS, RECORDS, AND NOTES
RECORDS:
No. 4 in school history in the hammer throw (214-8, 65.43m)
AWARDS:
1x Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree
1x CSC Academic All-American (‘23 Third Team)
1x USTFCCCA Academic All-District (’24)
2x Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (’23, ‘24)
2x Academic All-Big Ten (’23, ‘24)
3x USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (’24, ’23, ‘22)
NOTES: Competed for the United States at the 2022 U20 World Athletics Championships in Cali, Columbia in the hammer throw.
2024 Outdoor
Season: Competed in one meet before suffering a season ending injury.
UCF Knights Invite (3/22-23): Won the hammer throw (214-0, 65.24m) and wound up finishing sixth in the javelin throw (204-2, 62.22m) before going down with an injury that would keep him out for the rest of the 2024 outdoor season.
2024 Indoor
Season: Set his weight throw PR…Finished tenth in the Big Ten in the weight throw.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/13): Won the weight throw in his first indoor competition of the season with a 66-10.5 (20.38m) toss. Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational (2/9-10): Finished second in the weight throw with a huge PR of 69-4.75 (21.15m)…Became the fifth Nittany Lion ever to throw over 21 meters in the event. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Placed tenth in the conference with a 64-8 (19.71m) throw.
2023 Outdoor
Season: For the second consecutive year, qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in both the hammer (5th) and javelin (7th) throws…Scored points in both the hammer and javelin at the Big Ten Championships.
Penn Challenge (3/18): Finished second in the hammer throw (205-8, 62.70m)…Competed in the javelin as well, finishing third in the event (217-5 (66.28m) at his first outdoor meet of the season. LSU Lloyd Willis Invitational (4/8): Had his best single meet of his career, setting PRs in both the hammer and javelin throws, recording Penn State top ten marks in both events…Finished third overall in the hammer throw (214-8, 65.43m) and won the javelin competition (230-5, 70.23m)…Hammer throw mark stands as the fourth-best throw in school history and his javelin throw is the tenth-best at Penn State. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/12-14): Earned two podium finishes in his two events…Threw 212-0 (64.63m) in the hammer competition for fifth place in the conference…Went 220-10 (67.31m) in the javelin for seventh in the Big Ten. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-27): Finished 19th in the hammer throw (207-7, 63.28m) and 25th in the javelin throw (210-11, 64.30m) at his second-straight East Prelims.
2023 Indoor
Season: Set a personal-best 65-10.25 (20.07m) mark in the weight throw at the Penn State National Open…Earned five top-six finishes in the weight throw.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/14): Posted a 65-2.75 (19.88m) mark in the weight throw, earning a second-place finish in his first collegiate weight throw competition. Penn State National Open (2/27-28): Broke 20 meters for the first time in his career, reaching 65-10.25 (20.07m) with his best throw. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/24-25): Finished 14th in the conference in his first Big Ten indoor meet.
2022 Outdoor
Season: Qualified for NCAA East Preliminaries in both hammer throw and javelin...Placed third in javelin at Big Ten Outdoor Championships and seventh in hammer throw...Won two javelin competitions and finished second three times in the hammer throw.
UCF Knights Invite (3/25-26): Set season high in javelin at 68.19m to win event...Placed second in hammer throw at 62.22m. Hurricane Alumni Invitational (4/8-9): Won javelian thrown and placed sixth in hammer throw. Penn Relays (4/28-30): Set personal best in hammer throw at 64.65m. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/13-15): Took third in javelin and seventh in hammer throw at first Big Ten Championships. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-28): Placed 21st in hammer throw and 34th in javelin.
2022 Indoor
Season: Did not compete.
BEFORE PENN STATE
High School PRs: JT - 216’11, HT - 230’ 2.5””, DT - 171’7”, WT - 72’ 0.5”
Three year varsity letter winner...8x All-American...2019, 2021- EPC League, District and State Medalist...2019, 2021- PIAA- All-State Javelin...USATF Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year 2019...Lehigh Valley Live All-Area Team (2019, 2021)...Morning Call All-Star (2019, 2021)...Eastern Pennsylvania Conference All-Star (2019, 2021)...USATF Multi-time Regional and National Medalist...2021-Morning Call Track and Field Athlete of the Year...2021-Lehigh Valley Live Track and Field Athlete of the Year...2021-PIAA 3A Javelin First Team All-State...2021-Placed 1st at EPC Conference, District XI AAA and the PA AAA State Meet in Javelin...2021-Placed 1st at The Outdoor Nationals - Nike/NSAF in Javelin...2021-Placed 1st at The American JavFest & broke the meet record for the High School Championship Division in Javelin...Nazareth School Record Holder in Javelin and Discus...Ranked 3rd overall in the nation in Javelin...Ranked 1st for the Class of 2021 in Javelin...Named 2021 Track & Field News High School Javelin Athlete of the Year...2021-Placed 4th at Adidas Indoor Nationals in the indoor weight throw….Ranked 5th overall in the Nation in the weight throw...Placed 5th at The Outdoor Nationals (Nike/NSAF) in Hammer Throw...Ranked 4th overall in the nation in Hammer Throw...Ranked 3rd for the Class of 2021 in Hammer Throw.
PERSONAL
Born in Pennsylvania....Son of John Burkhart, Jr. and Amy Burkhart...Majoring in Business Administration.