EUGENE, OR-- Winthrop senior discus athlete Ashley Howard finished 17th out of a field of 24 at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In her final collegiate performance on Wednesday night, Howard had a throw of 46.28 meters (151-feet, 10 inches).
Howard (Wilmington, OH) entered the championships with the 22nd best qualifying distance, but needed to better her own personal best and Big South Conference record to finish among the top eight athletes to earn All-American honors. She had a career-best throw of 51.35 meters earlier this spring at the Georgia Invitational, but was unable to duplicate that feat at nationals which were held in rainy conditions with temperatures in the low 50s.
Jeneva McCall, a sophomore from Southern Illinois, captured the NCAA discus championship title with a distance of 54.98 meters (180-feet, 4 inches). Tracey Rew, the NCAA East Region's top qualifier out of Northwestern State (LA), was disqualified after committing three fouls.
“The overall experience here in Eugene was pretty amazing, and the atmosphere was great with thousands of track fans in attendance,” said Howard. “I felt like I competed well against the top discus athletes in the country, and considering the weather conditions, I felt I competed well, but I wish I could have made one more throw.”
Howard, who now plans to enroll in graduate school and prepare for a coaching career, said “My overall career was great. I improved each year and worked hard to get where I am right now. I plan on training for the 2012 Olympic Trials, and will be going to graduate school with a goal of coaching track.
“Ashley had a phenomenal career here at Winthrop, with four conference titles and three trips to the NCAA East region, culminating with a trip to the NCAA finals,” said head coach Ben Paxton. “Her 17th place finish in Eugene equals the best finish by sprinter Octavia Goode in the 2004 NCAA championship. She leaves us as the Big South Conference record and hopefully her performance will pave the road to attract many outstanding throwers to Winthrop in the future.
