COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For the second-straight season, fifth-year senior Sydney Laufenberg punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the discus, after finishing in the top-12 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Laufenberg, whose best throw of 57.62 meters (189-0 ft.) rebroke her school record in the event, will represent the Redbirds at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from June 9-12. Finishing sixth overall in the West Region, Laufenberg's mark is the eighth best out of the East and West Regions heading into the National Championships.
With that mark, Laufenberg is ahead of ISU's No. 2 discus performer by more than two meters.
Joining Laufenberg in the field events today were high jumpers Kristin Higgins and Grace Daun who each cleared 1.67 meters (5-5.75 ft.) to tie for 37th overall. Higgins, who is a four-time All-Valley performer, will expire her collegiate athletics eligibility, while Daun, who is only a freshman outdoors, will look to return next year.
In the 1,500-meter run, fifth-year senior Jack Anstey fell just short of advancing to the NCAA Championships, posting the 14th-fastest time at 3:40.87. The six-time Missouri Valley Conference Champion, school record holder and All-American will end his career as one of ISU's best ever middle-distance runners.
Also concluding her career at the NCAA West Prelims was fifth-year senior Grace Beattie who competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Beattie had a historic final season for the Redbirds, breaking three facility records, a meet record and running the No. 2 times in school history in the 1,500-meter run, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the 5,000-meter run and the distance medley relay.
ISU's final race of the day was the 400-meter hurdles where Jordyn Bruce finished 18th with a time of 59.36 seconds, just six spots out of qualifying range. The fifth-year senior leaves ISU as the 2021 MVC Women's Most Valuable Athlete, a three-time MVC Champion and a seven-time All-Valley performer.
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