Delsea’s Elisia Lancaster, a former All-America at Southern Illinois now competing unattatched, uncorked one of the best hammer throws in the world this year at a meet this past weekend in Illinois.
Lancaster threw 220-3 at the Fighting Illini Challenge Demirjian Park, one inch off her PR of 220-4 . She placed 2nd to American record holder, former World Champion and two-time Olympian DeAnna Price, who threw 246-9 – No. 3 in the world this year.
Lancaster’s 220-3 is No. 11 this year in the U.S. and No. 52 in the world.
Lancaster’s PR is 220-4 from a meet last May in Des Moines, Iowa. That’s No. 63 in U.S. history and just two inches shy of the South Jersey alumni record of 220-6 set by Delsea graduate Jamine Moton in Baton Rouge in May of 2002.
Lancaster had four throws well over 200 feet last weekend. She opened with a 214-3 and after a foul hit 209-4. After another foul she finished with the 220-3 and a 211-10.
This was only Lancaster’s second meet this year. She threw 204-7 last month in a meet in Tampa.
At Delsea, Lancaster threw the shot 39-2 ½ and the discus 124-5 – both those PRs were at 2016 South Jersey Group 3 sectionals in Bayville. She was a state medalist in the shot and a sectional runner-up in the discus.
But she really found her calling in the hammer. She first tried it in the spring of 2018 as a freshman at Rowan College South Jersey. She spent the spring of 2020 at Towson and didn’t throw the hammer at all, but after transferring to Southern Illinois she blossomed with a 207-11 in a meet in Lawrence, Kan., and she improved to 220-4 last spring.
The magic number is 232-11, the qualifying standard for the U.S. Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., July 6-9.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 