Thomasville's Kanter fifth in javelin at state championships

May 13—THOMASVILLE — Eight-year-old Sam Kanter may have found his sport early in life. After winning his age division twice in the Rose City Run, Kanter's parents entered him in the YMCA's track and field program. They expected to see their son running, but coach Andre Williams had other plans for Kanter's first year with the program.

"We thought running might be more of his forte, but when Coach Andre asked him to participate in the javelin, he started putting in extra hours outside of team practice and quickly started to improve as he learned the basics," said Jason Kanter, Sam's father.

Kanter quickly showed promise in the sport and would go on to win regionals with a throw of 51 feet. Sam qualified for the state championships and took home fifth place after a 65-foot throw, truly showing his progress as he beat his regional throw by 14 feet.

He has definitely enjoyed seeing noticeable progress day to day in these early stages," Kanter said. "And, the teammates have all been so positive with one another as they've grown in each of their events."

Perhaps even more impressive is that Sam, an 8-year-old, is competing in the 9-10 age group, besting athletes two years older than him.