Another indoor PR for Oklahoma senior Jessica Woodard, who threw 57-8 1/4 at the Tyson Invitational over the weekend at the Randall Tyson Track on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.
Woodard, a Cherokee graduate, had a 56-8 1/4 in the trials and then popped her 57-8 1/4 on her second throw of the finals. She won by nearly 3 1/2 feet over second-place Laulauga Tausaga of Iowa, who threw 54-2.
Her throw is No. 18 in the world this year on the IAAF international list and and No. 7 among American women. It’s also No. 4 among collegians this year and No. 3 among U.S. collegians. it’s also No. 3 in Oklahoma history indoors.
Woodard’s previous indoor PR was 57-6 3/4, when she placed fifth at indoor NCAAs last year at the Gillian Track at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
Her outdoor PR is 60-3, which she threw last spring, winning the Big 12 meet at Rock Chalk Park on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence.
Woodard’s next meet will be the Big 12 championships at Ames, Iowa, Feb. 23-24. Woodard is a four-time NCAA All-America in the shot put. At Cherokee, she won three Meet of Champions titles — two in the discus and one in the shot put. Her discus PR is 185-9.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 