The 10th annual Husky Throwdown on Saturday in Pittsfield had two sets of shot put, javelin and discus venues running. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

PITTSFIELD — Sitting in the middle of a field on his John Deere Gator, surrounded by hundreds of high school throwers, Maine Central Institute athletic director Jason Allen sits, reminiscing of the early days of an idea he and his coaches thought up 11 years ago.

“To be honest, I can’t believe we made it 10 years,” said Allen, who was MCI’s track and field coach when the Throwdown first started. “When I first thought of this thing, I thought, ‘Maybe (this works).’ I don’t know if people will get involved with this. That’s why the fee was so low. We set the fee at $5 per kid, and we’ve never changed it. If I had set the fee too high, people would have said, ‘You’re stupid, we’re not going to do a throws-only meet for that amount of money.’

“I used to tongue-and-cheek dub it the ‘state’s elite throw meet.’ We’ve been fortunate to stick around for 10 years. (Current MCI head coach) Jess Libby and (throws coach) Lincoln Robinson have been instrumental in putting this together over the years. The officials we’ve had have been coming back year after year… and credit to (former MCI athletic director) Jim Leonard for believing in this idea and not saying, ‘You’re an idiot.'”

Saturday was the 10th edition of the MCI Husky Throwdown, one of the unique events in Maine high school track and field. It’s a throwers-only event, meaning teams compete only in the javelin, shot put and discus. It’s been a proving ground for some of the state’s top talent. Former Orono standout Jake Koffman (who went on to throw at Stanford University), Brewer graduate Austin Lufkin, former Thornton Academy standout Victoria Lux and York alum (now a Bates College sophomore) Matt Charpentier are among notable competitors through the years.

There was no Husky Throwdown during the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Athletes from any high school in the state can compete in the Husky Throwdown. Competitors from as far south as York have made the trip to Pittsfield. On Saturday, Falmouth, Yarmouth and Scarborough had the most southern-based competitors, while Orono and Piscataquis High School of Guilford had the most northern athletes.

“It’s definitely a lot different than our normal meets,” said Piscataquis sophomore Olivia Thomas. “There’s a lot more schools here, there’s a lot more competition for throwers than we usually have at our meets.”

Madison’s Aurora Norsworthy throws javelin during Husky Throwdown. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“This is Yarmouth’s first time here, we’ve never been here before,” said Yarmouth senior Abd Muayad. “We just heard about the competition, so we wanted to come down. It’s been pretty fun, everyone has someone to compete with, compared to the smaller meets, where there might be some gaps in between.

“I thought it was at (the University of Southern Maine) because when I think Huskies, I think USM. I’m like, ‘We’re throwing at USM, right?’ No, we’re going to MCI. And I’m like, ‘Where is that again?’ And we had to look up (Pittsfield).”

For throwers, the intriguing aspect of the Throwdown is two-fold: facing top competition, and getting to meet fellow athletes they might not see during regular-season or postseason meets.

“This is my favorite meet of the year,” said Lawrence senior Zoe Hutchins. “It’s also the most competitive meet, even more competitive than the state meet. This is not just Class B or Class A (throwers), this is all classes. You get to see the best throwers in the state and they all get to compete against each other. This is a level of competition that you don’t see all year. It’s a good taste test of what competition meets will be like, and it’s a good warmup meet for states at the end of the season.”

Added Muayad: “A lot of these guys are great competitors, and I feel like that’s what track is all about, to better yourself day in and day out with every meet. I wish I could have been here as a freshman or a sophomore to see older guys throwing, especially when Matt Charpentier was throwing. That would have been fun to watch.”

The meet also provides a laid-back environment for coaches, who aren’t as stretched out among participants as they might be during a full track meet.

“I always look forward to seeing (Central High School throws coach) John White,” said Skowhegan track and field coach Dan Foss. “I don’t see him during the regular season, but he’s always here (at the Throwdown). He’s been around forever. And then (coaches) talk about strategies we’re doing, or have done, and it’s great to talk to people like that. And they’re all here.”

With hundreds of competitors, the Throwdown begins at 10 a.m. and ends in the late afternoon. It runs smoothly, with multiple coaches running each event, and volunteers managing the grill/concession area. In the early days, it wasn’t so easy, Allen said.

“Every year, I feel we get a little bit better with the efficiency, with the preparation part,” Allen said. “Putting it together. Every year it seems more and more people want to come and participate in it, which is great.

“It just keeps growing, I’m glad people see the value in it. Hopefully, it keeps going for another 10.”