Photo of Liam Christensen at the 2015 World Youth Championships by Getty Images.
TRUJILLO, Peru – Incoming freshman Liam Christensen placed third in the men's javelin at the Pan Am Junior Championships on Saturday.
Christensen, the U.S. junior champion, threw 220-8 (67.25 meters) and was the top American in a competition that crowned the under-20 champion from the Western Hemisphere. Brazil's Pedro Nunes won at 244-8 (74.58), and U.S. teammate William Petersson was fifth at 216-0 (65.84).
Christensen's best throw was his first of six. This was his second international competition representing the United States, having competed in the World Youth Games in 2015 in Colombia, placing eighth.
Because there is no high school javelin in his native South Carolina, Christensen competes mainly in summer. He has won six national titles -- two in the Junior Olympics, two in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, the 2015 U.S. World Youth Trials, and the USA Championships junior title last month.
Christensen, who has a personal best of 238-2 ¼ (72.59), said after winning the U.S. junior title in Sacramento that he's looking to get even better while working with Stanford throws coach Zeb Sion.
"As long as I can stay healthy, work with Coach Sion, and be consistent, I feel everything will fall into place from there," he said.
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Stanford's rising fifth-year senior Valarie Allman will begin the women's discus competition at the IAAF World Championships in London on Aug. 11 with the qualifying round. The final is Aug. 13 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Allman earned the right to represent the United States by placing third at the U.S. Championships in Sacramento on June 22.
She will be joined by Stanford alumnae Katerina Stefanidi '12 and Kori Carter '14. Stefanidi, the reigning Olympic pole vault champion from Greece, competes in qualifying on Aug. 4, with the final Aug. 8. Carter, third in the U.S. Championships, competes in the first round of the 400 hurdles on Aug. 7. The semifinals are Aug. 8 and the final is Aug. 10.
