GREENSBORO, NC—Winthrop senior discus thrower Ashley Howard qualified on Saturday for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship that will be held in two weeks at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and also becomes the second female athlete in Winthrop history to advance to the national finals.
Competing at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T, Howard (Wilmington, OH) finished 10th in the NCAA East Regional discus event out of a field of 48 athletes. The top 12 Discus performers earned the opportunity to compete at Oregon, June 10-13.
Howard had a toss of 163 feet, 7 inches (49.87 meters) which was the fourth best distance in her flight and the 10th best overall. She joins former Eagle sprinter Octavia Goode as the only two women in Winthrop's 16-year track and field history to earn a spot in the national finals. Howard and Goode are among six total Winthrop track and field athletes who have qualified over the years for the NCAA Championships.
“We are so excited for Ashley because she has worked hard to get to this point in her career,” said Winthrop coach Ben Paxton. “It was a long day as it took five hours to complete the discus competition, but her performance was certainly worth the wait. Everyone associated with our track program is very proud of Ashley's accomplishment.”
Earlier this spring at the University of Georgia, Howard shattered the school and Big South Conference record with a performance of 168 feet, 6 inches. The top distance at Saturday's East Regional was 179 feet by Trecey Rew of Northwestern State (LA).
Howard was one four Winthrop athletes that competed in Greensboro over the weekend, including sprinter Sasha Robinson, men's hurdler Keary Simms, and men's javelin athlete Jared Baird. Robinson finished 44th in the 400 meter dash with a time of 55.97 seconds while Simms turned in a time of 14.40 in the 110 meter hurdles to rank 34th, and Baird was 26th in the javelin with a throw of 200 feet, 6 inches (61.12 meters). All three are juniors and will return to Winthrop next season.
