Someone forgot to tell junior Brian Chaput that Sunday's Quaker Invitational was just the first meet in a long outdoor track and field season.
Last year's Heptagonal Champion hurled the javelin 74.00 meters (242 feet, 9.00 inches), shattering the Penn outdoor record.
"I was just excited about it," he said. "I expected it to happen sooner or later."
Chaput, the apprentice, broke his teacher's record -- volunteer assistant coach and former Penn javelin record holder John Taylor.
"It's nice to have him there to do it," Chaput said. "He's taught me a lot of things."
Sunday's meet marked Chaput's return to competition from an injury-plagued indoor season.
"I think it was just a lot of adrenaline," Penn senior Brian Abram said. "He's been cooped up all winter."
Chaput's record-breaking throw makes him a legitimate contender to win at the national championships in June.
But his teammates stress that Sunday's throw was just a starting point.
"He has another seven or eight meters," Abram said. "This is only the beginning."
If Chaput can continue to throw 74 feet, he will likely become an All-American, according to his teammates and results from past years.
"Come the end of the season he's gonna be one of the elite guys in the country," Penn junior Matt Wedge said.
Chaput's emergence, in addition to proven performers Sam Burley at 800 meter and high jumper Adam Chubb gives the Quakers three stars who can make their presence felt at nationals.
"Three guys are definite contenders [at nationals]," Abram said.
Chaput was by no means the only Penn athlete to have an auspicious beginning to the outdoor season.
The Red and Blue finished with nine first-place finishes on the day, including a sweep of the relays.
Penn won the 4x100m, 4x400m, and 4x800m convincingly.
In other track events, Wedge won the 110m hurdles in 14.86, and freshman Matt Evans also took first in the 800m, reaching the finish line in 1:55.20.
The Quakers dominated the field events, highlighted by Chaput's remarkable performance in the javelin.
Sophomore Neal Wojdowski's upended the competition in the pole vault with a jump of 4.56m (14 feet-11.5 inches).
The field squad also proved its prowess in the jumping events behind sophomore Brent James' 6.61m (21 feet-8.25 inches) victory in the long jump and freshman Mike Daley's first-place finish in the triple jump with a measurement of 13.59m (44 feet-7 inches).
Sunday also marked the much-awaited return of discus thrower Tom VonReichbauer, whose throw of 43.07m (141-feet 4 inches) earned him third place.
The addition of high-jump standout Chubb -- who will return to track from basketball in the coming week -- should make the field squad even more formidable.
If Sunday is any indication, the sophomore-led distance contingent appears poised to make a stronger contribution this year at the Heptagonal Championships.
The Quakers dominated the 1500m, led by sophomore Scott Sebens' first place result of 3:59.29. Sophomore Nolan Tully and junior Joseph Fabiani just behind Sebens, taking second and third place.
Penn hopes Sunday's performance is a sign of things to come.
"That's the reason why we go out there and take it to the highest level we can," Wedge said.
"Hopefully that will be what it takes to make us champions."
