June 9, 2010
EUGENE, Ore. -
In just her first season at Illinois State, freshman Brittany Smith competed with the best student-athletes in the country and finished 19th overall in the discus at the 2010 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday night at historic Heyward Field.
Smith fouled on her first two attempts in the ring, but recorded a throw of 150'09" (45.96m) on her third and final throw to place in the top-20. The Oak Park, Ill., native earned her spot in the NCAA Championships with a sixth-place finish at the West Region Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas, where she also qualified in the shot put and hammer throw.
"It was just one of those days for Brittany," ISU track and field head coach Elvis Forde said. "I don't believe she was nervous or anxious out there, I just think she had an off day. I know Brittany is disappointed, but she had a tremendous freshman season and has a very bright future at Illinois. She accomplished some great things in her first year and we look forward to watching her progress over the next three years. We are very proud of her and she should be proud of her accomplishments this year."
Fellow freshman Tim Glover will compete Thursday in the semifinals of the men's javelin competition, which is set to begin at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Heyward Field. Glover finished third in the men's javelin competition with a throw of 231'02" (70.45m) at the NCAA West Regional to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships. That effort ranks him fourth among the 24 competitors in the field heading into the competition.
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