SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Former Redbird track and field standouts represented Illinois State with top-five marks at the USA Track and Field Championships this past weekend in Sacramento, California.
The 2014 USATF brought some of the nation's best athletes to Northern California, while also serving as the final stop on the USATF Championships Series.
"It was a very big weekend for former Redbirds at USA's," director of track and field and cross country coach Jeff Bovee said. Â "We had no less than four recent grads place in the top-four in the United States. In an Olympic year, we would have had two Olympians and two alternates."
Former Redbird All-American and ISU javelin record-holder Leigh Petranoff notched a third-place finish in the javelin with a best mark of 57.80 meters (189-7). Â Asics' Kara Patterson finished first in the event with a best toss of 62.43 meters (204-10). Also posting a top-three in the javelin was former Redbird standout, All-American and two-time NCAA Champion Tim Glover. Glover tossed a best mark of 78.87 meters (258-9) on his second attempt to propel him to a third-place finish. Sean Furey won the event on the men's side with a best mark of 81.10 meters (266-1).
Former distance standout and Nike affiliate Aisha Praught captured a personal-best 3,000-meter steeplechase time of 9:34.69 to finish fourth. New Balance's Emma Coburn won the steeplechase with an astounding 9:19.72.
Brittany Smith, Redbird All-American, notched two top-10 finishes at the Championships. Smith earned her best finish in the hammer throw, tossing a mark of 69.31 meters (227-4) to place fourth. She also placed sixth in the shot put with a mark of 17.26 meters (56-07.50).
Recent graduate and All-American Curt Jensen finished 10th in the shot put with a mark of 19.59 meters (64-03.75).
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