Jessica Woodard finished her brilliant 2022 season with a 2nd-place finish in the shot put at the NACAC Championships Sunday.
Woodard, a Cherokee graduate, had three throws over 60 feet, including a 61-8 ¾ at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships at Freeport Stadium in Grand Bahamas.
Woodard placed second behind Canadian Olympian Sarah Mitton, who won the event with a throw of 66-1 ¼.
Woodard had throws of 60-3, 61-5 ¼ and 61-8 ¾. She’s now thrown over 60 feet 30 times since first surpassing the barrier in the 2017 Big 12 Championships at the University of Kansas.
Her 61-8 ¾ is her 5th-best throw ever, and the 61-5 ¼ is her 10th-best throw ever. The only other time she threw 61-5 or better twice in the same meet was the USATF Championships in Eugene in June, when she PR’d at 63-7 ¾ and also had two throws at 61-7 ¾.
Thirteen of Woodard’s 16-best throws came this year. She finishes 2022 ranked 11th in the world and No. 3 among American women and No. 14 on the all-time U.S. list.
Here’s a look at every one of Woodard’s 60-foot throws:
63-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
62-7 … World Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 15, 2022
62-3 ¾ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
61-10 ¼ … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
61-8 ¾ … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
61-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
61-7 ¾ … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
61-7 … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022
61-6 ½ … Ed Murphey Classic, Memphis, Tenn., July 30, 2022
61-5 ¼ … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
61-4¼i … U.S. Indoor Championships, Spokane, Wash., Feb. 26, 2022
61-3½ … NCAA Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 7, 2018
61-3 … World Championships [final], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 16, 2022
61-1 ¼ … World Championships [final], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 16, 2022
60-10i … U.S. Indoor Championships, Spokane, Wash., Feb. 26, 2022
60-10 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2022
60-9½ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-7¼ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-7½i … Don Kirby Elite, Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center, Feb. 12, 2022
60-5¾ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
60-4¾ … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
60-4 … Goteborg Grand Prix, Goteborg, Sweden, Aug. 16, 2019
60-3¼ … U.S. Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, June 24, 2021
60-3 … Big 12 Championships, Lawrence, Kans., May 13, 2017
60-3 … Ed Murphey Classic, Memphis, Tenn., July 30, 2022
60-1¼ … Chula Vista High Performance #3, Elite Training Stadium, Chula Vista, Calif., May 2, 2021
60-½ … Chula Vista High Performance #1, Elite Training Stadium, Chula Vista, Calif., April 3, 2021
60-4½ … USATF Golden Games, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022
60-3 … NACAC Championships, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Aug. 21, 2022
60-0 ½ … Tucson Elite Classic, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 19, 2022
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 