By MARY CHVATAL, UNK Communications
KEARNEY – At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the javelin throw has become part of one family's legacy.
Darren Grauerholz was the first to make his mark, earning All-American honors twice and setting the program record with a 212-foot toss during the 1992 NCAA Division II Championships.
Three decades later, his nephew followed a similar path, then went even farther.
Rylan Basart was a sophomore in 2024 when he broke his uncle's record, hurling the javelin 212 feet, 9 inches during the Central Nebraska Challenge at Kearney High School. He ended up beating that distance two more times that spring, setting the new standard at 233-11 during the Loper Invitational.
"It meant a lot for him to break it," Grauerholz said. "I heard someone else almost broke it a few years prior and I was a little prideful about that. But now that it's him, I wouldn't want it to be anyone else holding it."
Aside from their obvious connection, Basart and Grauerholz have a lot in common. The north-central Kansas natives were competitive in multiple sports growing up, with track and field ultimately becoming their primary focus.
Originally from the small town of Stockton, Basart gravitated toward baseball early on. However, limited opportunities at the high school level forced him to pivot, eventually leading him to the javelin.
"I played every sport under the sun as a kid, but once I got to junior high, I realized my options were limited," he explained. "The closest thing to baseball was track, and I ended up being pretty good at it."
Basart was a two-time state track and field qualifier in high school, winning the Class 1A javelin title as a senior. Still, when it came time to choose a college, he envisioned a future on the football field, following in the footsteps of his father and brothers, who played at Fort Hays State.
UNK offered an opportunity to do both.
Like his uncle, a former UNK kicker, Basart started his college career as member of the football and track and field programs. He was a kicker for two seasons before turning his full attention to the javelin.
"I was coming back from Emporia my sophomore year and learned I'd be an All-American again," he said. "It was one of those things where I knew I could expand on my potential if I gave it more time."
UNK throws coach Dane Tobey, an eight-time All-American and school record holder in the shot put and discus, saw that potential right away.
"When Rylan came out of high school, he may not have been the DII guy with his stats," Tobey said. "He may have been less than the standard, but he's more than continued to prove his place at the Division II level."
As a freshman, Basart earned All-American honors and recorded a season-best throw of 209 feet while finishing 11th at nationals. He was also recognized as an MIAA Scholar-Athlete and USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
The pre-engineering student built on that foundation as a sophomore, placing first or second in six different meets, including a runner-up finish at the MIAA Championships. In addition to setting the school record, he repeated as an All-American by finishing eighth at the DII Championships with an effort of 217-5 and was named an Academic All-American.
After narrowly missing a third straight trip to nationals last year, Basart wants to finish his senior season with a return to that stage while continuing to raise the standard he's already established.
"Everything I want to achieve this last season isn't a dream, it's a task to accomplish," he said. "I've been doing everything to put myself in a position to push that school record and become an All-American again."
Basart's top throw of 230-8 currently ranks No. 3 in Division II with just over a month remaining until the NCAA Championships in Emporia, Kansas.
Grauerholz has followed his nephew's career closely, offering encouragement along the way and appreciating the parallels between their paths.
"He's just backward," the proud uncle joked.
Basart throws left-handed – the only real difference in a journey that looks remarkably familiar.
