Delsea graduate Elisia Lancaster bombed a hammer PR Friday and won at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Lancaster threw 220-4 on her fourth attempt at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, to pass teammate and defending champion Shauniece O’Neal, who was in the lead with a 219-4 on her first attempt.
That’s No. 17 among all U.S. women this year and moves her up to No. 58 in U.S. history, one spot behind another Delsea graduate, Jamine Moton, who threw 220-6 in Baton Rouge in 2002.
It’s also No. 14 in NCAA Division 1 this year.
Next up for Lancaster is the NCAA East Region Preliminary at Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., May 25-28. The top performers there advance to the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., June 8-11.
Lancaster’s previous PR was a throw of 219-9 last month at the Joey Haines Invitational at Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Last year, Lancaster placed fifth in the conference meet with a throw of 194-2. She had a PR of 207-11 coming into this season but increased it to 208-5 at a meet in Murray, Ky., in March and then 218-9 at the Joey Haynes meet. Since then she has thrown 210-7, 214-6 and 215-11 in her last three meets.
Lancaster opened Friday with a 200-10 followed by a 212-3. After fouling on her third attempt, she hit the winner on her first attempt of the finals. She fouled on No. 5 and 6, but O’Neal fouled on her last four throws and settled for second place, exactly a foot behind her teammate.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 