PROVO, Utah — A newspaper photographer got a little too close to the action at the state high school track championships - and was speared through the leg by a javelin.

Ryan McGeeney of the Standard-Examiner was spared serious injury in Saturday's mishap, and even managed to snap a photo of his speared leg while others worked to help him.

"If I didn't, it would probably be my editor's first question when I got back," McGeeney said later.

The 33-year-old McGeeney, an ex-Marine who spent six months in Afghanistan, was taking pictures of the discus event and apparently wandered into off-limits area set aside for the javelin throw.

Striking just below the knee, the javelin tip went through the skin and emerged on the other side of his leg.

"One of the first things that came to my mind was, 'Good thing we brought a second javelin,'" Miles' coach, Richard Vance, said Monday. He said Miles was "in a little bit of shock," but he assured the athlete that it was not his fault.


Back and fourth to Afghanistan then speared at a track meet

5/20/2008 12:57:46 PM

those guys are always spearing spectators and refs and whatnot

5/20/2008 12:58:28 PM

Quote :

"fourth "

5/20/2008 1:08:22 PM

i thought javelin and hammer toss were illegal until you got to the collegiate level

5/20/2008 1:10:20 PM

^^yeah i realized the poor spelling after the fact.....all aboard

^State law maybe? All I know is that if anyone's throwing a 6 ft spear in my general vicinity, my eyes would be wide the fuck open


[Edited on May 20, 2008 at 1:14 PM. Reason : .]

5/20/2008 1:11:18 PM

damnit! beat me to it

the fact that he took this photo himself! i'd be screaming like a little baby

5/20/2008 2:06:14 PM

christ that looks painful. hes lucky it wasnt a half an inch deeper, splintering his shinbone

5/20/2008 3:19:06 PM

5/20/2008 3:33:11 PM

this was posted in sports talk last night

5/20/2008 3:48:49 PM

[Edited on May 20, 2008 at 3:52 PM. Reason : .]

5/20/2008 3:50:58 PM

MOTHER OF GOD

5/20/2008 3:55:53 PM

come on people, it didn't even break the bone

5/20/2008 4:28:03 PM

Gives some insight into what ancient battlefields must have been like.

5/20/2008 4:32:17 PM

^I think I'd rather be shot than speared; that shit would blow beyond belief




They have Special Olympics javelin?

5/20/2008 4:50:08 PM

5/20/2008 6:35:25 PM