Jon Astemborski, Class of 2011, Track & Field
For several years, throwers showed up to track and field meets thinking, “We’re throwing for second place today — the darn Peddie kid is still here?”
Arguably the most accomplished three-event thrower in Peddie track and field history, Jon Astemborski ’11 achieved remarkable success by capturing 14 individual titles over four years. He is a MAPL Champion: three times in javelin, twice in discus and once in shot put. He is also a four-time state champion in javelin, a three-time state champion in discus, and a one-time state champion in shot put. In his sophomore year, he accomplished the rare trifecta of winning a state title in shot put, discus and javelin.
Astemborski combined exceptional strength, speed and technique across multiple throwing disciplines (shot put, discus, javelin), contributing four years of impressive feats to the long history of Peddie’s track and field program.
His favorite event was javelin.
“Chuckin’ spears,” he expressed with fond remembrance.
The Burlington Township native holds the school’s javelin record at 180’ 0”, which occurred at the NJISAA
(Prep) Relays on April 7, 2010. He and Halley Gartner ’10 own the javelin relay record at 318’ 1”. Both records still hold today. His best throws in the other events are discus, reaching 151’ 1” at the MAPL Championships on May 14, 2011. For shot put, he tallied a 47’8″ mark to win the state championships on May 12, 2010.
And what went through Astemborski’s mind in the biggest moments on the biggest stages, such as the MAPL Championships and state championships?
“Absolutely nothing,” he explained. “That’s why I like track; you quiet the mind a little bit. It’s like ballet, it’s like a fluid experience. I like those big moments because my mind was just quiet and focused on what I was doing at the time.”
His favorite moment in Peddie track and field was competing in the javelin at the Penn Relays in his junior year.
“You have to be good enough to be invited to participate in the Penn Relays,” Head Coach Mark Gartner explained. “Jon was one of the best javelin throwers around. Just to be able to participate in that at the time, he was the third Peddie athlete in my career that had been able to participate at the Penn Relays in an individual event.”
Astemborski won the 2009 and 2011 Outstanding Player Award (Track and Field) for exceptional ability at the Spring Awards Ceremony. He received countless All-Prep accolades from the local and state media. As a freshman (2008), he was selected All-Prep by The Star- Ledger in the discus.
“I learned about Peddie from my eighth-grade football coach,” Astemborski explained. “I saw Peddie, and my eyes were wide open, and I thought it was such an amazing thing. The campus was stunning. It was a surreal experience touring. Every now and then, I text one of my buddies that I went to Peddie with and just reminisce about it. It’s such a special time, and you can’t replicate it. You’re growing up with your best buddies and learning about life together, and going through sports and academia. It was a truly unique environment that, unless you experience it, you can’t really feel it.”
These days, he is teaching his son how to throw his old “Turbo Javelins,” which the youth throw in the Junior Olympic Games.