March 12, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
Brittany Smith continues to add to her already stellar collegiate career, as the sophomore thrower earned All-America honors and set another school record in the shot put at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday in College Station, Texas. Smith finished third in the event with a mark of 56- 04.75 after entering the event ranked 17th in the field of 21.
"Heading into today, we had an expectation for Brittany to finish in the top-eight and be an All-American, and after her first throw, we knew she had a great chance of meeting those goals," said head track and field coach Elvis Forde. "After her first throw, Brittany was very excited and was able to relax during the rest of her throws. It is great to see Brittany's work in the weight room and practices pay off. She was competing against some of the best throwers in the nation and to finish in the top-three and be named an All-American is an amazing accomplishment. We haven't had someone do that at Illinois State in a long time, and we are very proud of her."
Smith recorded the school record and personal-best mark of 56-04.75 on her first throw at the championships and would foul on her next two throws, but the Oak Park, Ill., native qualified for the final round with her first throw. She was one of nine throwers to advance to the final round. Smith fouled on her first attempt of the final round, but recorded 52-04.00 and 50-03.50 for her last two throws. However, it would be Smith's first throw that would give her the third-place finish.
Smith earned her spot in the NCAA Indoor Championships with a third-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 54-05.25 at the NCAA Qualifier Meet in Ames, Iowa. The sophomore recorded personal-best efforts and school records in both the shot put and weight throw during the 2011 indoor season. Smith accomplished the feat in the weight throw (65-01.50) at the Keck Invitational (Feb. 5) and recorded 14 top-three finishes throughout the season in the shot put and weight throw combined.
The Redbirds will open the 2011 outdoor track and field season at the Saluki Spring Invitational Saturday, March 26, in Carbondale, Ill.
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