Oxford Hills’ Dawson Stevens won two straight Class A state championships in the javelin. (Lee Horton/Sun Journal)

Dawson Stevens of Oxford Hills entered the 2018 outdoor track season fresh off a wrestling state title as he tried to defend his 2017 javelin state championship.

Stevens knew what came with that previous success.

“I knew I was the defending state champ and I knew there was a big target on my back and there were a couple guys in the state that could reach out to where I was,” Stevens said. “I just wanted to improve.”

After throwing 177 feet at the 2017 Class A state meet to win by more than 18 feet, Stevens still was focused on being a state champion, ignoring out all other competitors, numbers and anything else that could get in the way.

“I set my goal to be a state champion and I didn’t really think about it the whole year,” Stevens said. “I try to not let other competition get in my head, I just try to go throw hard and throw high. I don’t let that stuff bother me, I just trust my training and compete.”

At the state meet this season, Stevens threw 173 feet, edging out Cheverus’ Christian Gilliam by just 15 inches. Stevens credited a lot of his success to his coach, Nate Danforth.

“Coach has done a great job,” Stevens said. “I would say all of my success is because of him. Being with him for pretty much the whole year, in the fall it’s football, wrestling in the winter and in the spring it is track.”

It also helped that Stevens got to work with the girls’ Class A javelin champion, and new state record holder, Jadah Adams everyday. Adams threw 135-07 at the state meet.

“It’s kind of funny because at the end of this season she was throwing past all the other guys and they were getting mad, that pushed her and we kind of push each other,” Stevens said. “I watch her form, she watches mine. We would coach each other, I guess you could say.”

Stevens will be playing football in the fall for Husson University.

Oxford Hills senior Dawson Stevens won two straight Class A state championships in the javelin. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)