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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports How good a story would it be? That is the question that Ethan Dabbs of the Virginia track and field program keeps asking himself. How good a story would it be for someone to undergo Tommy John surgery and come back and dominate the very next season? After a historic start to his 2022 campaign, Dabbs is on his way to doing just that. The fourth-year javelin thrower is no stranger to success. In his first campaign with the Hoos, Dabbs went undefeated in the javelin and cruised to his first confer- ence title, setting an ACC Championship and UVA record in the process prior to earning first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. Following such a successful campaign, and a canceled 2020 outdoor season, Dabbs was met with a challenge his second season. In March, the campaign kicked off in Ra- leigh, N.C., at North Carolina State's Raleigh Relays where Dabbs suffered an injury to his throwing arm that threatened to derail his entire season before it had even begun. He was forced to sit out for almost the en- tirety of the season as he competed in just one meet prior to the postseason. In May, he returned to Raleigh for the ACC Championships having not picked up a javelin since the injury. It was business as usual for Dabbs as he launched a throw that soared 71.45 meters to secure his sec- ond consecutive title in the event. The trying season ended in Jacksonville, where Dabbs missed out on qualification for the NCAA Championships by just more than a foot. Nine months after his surgery at the conclusion of the 2021 season, Dabbs was cleared for competition in 2022, and he began to write his story. After opening his season at the Duke Invitational, Dabbs de- livered a historic performance at the Virginia Challenge on Lannigan Field. With his final attempt of the series, Dabbs unleashed a throw that reached 80.41 meters, sending his coach and teammates into a frenzy as he topped his own Virginia record and set the bar for the ACC. Three weeks later, Dabbs entered the ACC Championships seeking his third consecutive title in the javelin. It was quickly apparent that he was in a league of his own. Dabbs' first throw would have been enough to win the competition by itself, but the fourth- year uncorked a third attempt that soared 82.92 meters, smashing the ACC, UVA and ACC Championship records that he already owned. The performance also made Dabbs just the fourth-ever competitor to win three consecutive ACC titles in the men's javelin while winning by more than 10 meters. Though his accomplishments are already impressive, Dabbs has his sights set higher. "The job is not finished," he said. "It's cool and I am happy, but I've got bigger goals." Dabbs followed up his ACC performance with a third-place showing (77.06 meters) at the NCAA East Regional in late May. That toss qualified him for the NCAA Champion- ships June 8-11 in Eugene, Ore., where he will take aim at winning the national title. — Quinn Hull getting to know Track And Field Athlete Ethan Dabbs Dabbs became just the fourth competitor ever to win the ACC javelin title in three consecutive seasons. (Photo courtesy UVA)