NORMAL, Ill. – Aisha Praught, Illinois State track and field alum, was named to represent Jamaica at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Praught met the Olympic A Standard in both the 1,500-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, but chose to compete in the steeplechase only.
Praught discovered her Jamaican heritage after she reconnected with her birth-father in the summer of 2013. In 2015, she became a Jamaican citizen and has dual citizenship in both the United States and Jamaica. Her first time representing Jamaica was at the 2015 World Championships.
At ISU, Praught's most notable moment was her break-through performance where she finished a close second in the mile run to Lucy Van Dalen at the 2012 Indoor NCAA Championships. Praught holds the Missouri Valley All-Time record in the 1,500-meter run and the steeplechase. She is ISU's school record holder in the mile run, 1,500 meter and steeplechase. This will be Praught's first time competing at the Olympic Games and will be Jamaica's lone female entrant in any women's distance events.
At the U.S. 2016 Olympic Trials several ISU alum came close to making Team USA. Brittany Smith, All-American shot putter, qualified for the finals on her first attempted as she tossed a distance of 58-9.75 (17.91m) in the qualifying round. In the final round, Smith was up against two former Missouri Valley foes, Felisha Johnson from Indiana State and Raven Saunders of Southern Illinois who transferred to Ole Miss. Smith put up a fight in inclement weather conditions and threw a mark of 60-11.50 (18.81m). Unfortunately, Smith fell short finishing sixth overall.
Smith is one of three Americans that are ranked in the top-10 World Rankings in the women's shot put. She is ranked seventh along with Michelle Carter who is ranked third and Tia Brooks who is eighth. Smith competed against both of them this last weekend at the Olympic Trials. At ISU, Smith holds the school record in both indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw and hammer throw. She was the NCAA Division I runner-up in both the shot put and hammer throw at the 2012 NCAA National Championships.
Another All-American shot putter, Curt Jensen competed in the men's shot put. Jensen nearly missed finals as he finished 15th with a toss of 64-06 (19.66m). Jensen holds the Missouri Valley Conference All-Time record in shot put for both indoor and outdoor. He also owns the Illinois State all-time shot put record for indoor and outdoor.
Former Redbird All-American and ISU javelin record-holder Leigh Petranoff finished 10th in the qualifying round advancing her to the finals, where she finished ninth at throw of 166-08 (50.80m). At ISU, she won four-straight conference titles in the javelin and holds the Missouri Valley Conference All-Time record.
Tim Glover, two-time NCAA Javelin Champion, finished 23rd in the javelin throw with a toss of 207-07 (63.29m). He is the Missouri Valley Conference All-Time record holder, along with Illinois State school record holder.
The Olympic Games starts Wednesday, August 3 and Aisha Praught will be competing on August 13 at 7:30 a.m. CT in the steeplechase. For more information and updates about the Rio 2016 Olympics go to GoRedbirds.com.
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