Illinois States Tom Barrett became a four-time all-American after a seventh-place finish in the mens hammer throw, Thursday, at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Wallace Wade Stadium.
The Redbird senior is the 39th athlete to achieve all-America status in head coach John Coughlans 23 years at the helm.
Barrett, a native of OFallon, Ill., capped off his Illinois State career with a toss of 214 feet, four inches for his seventh-place finish. Barrett improved upon his preempt seeding, as the 2000 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Meet entered the meet ranked ninth overall. Southern Methodists Libor Charfreitag won the event with a distance of 253 feet, four inches, for his second hammer throw championship.
This is Barretts second all-America honor in the hammer with the first coming in 1998. He also claimed the award twice in the 35-lb. weight at the 2000 and 1999 indoor nationals.
Barrett and Utah States James Parker were the only two athletes to qualify for the national meet in both the discus and hammer. Barrett placed 15th in the discus, Wednesday, with a toss of 188 feet and one inch.
Illinois States Kathrine Nielsen and Christian Goy will both be in competition later on Thursday, when Nielsen finishes the final three events in the womens heptathlon and Goy attempts to qualify for the finals in the mens 1,500-meter run.
