Cherokee graduate Fejiro Akiri, a senior at Rutgers-Newark, won her 1st conference title Saturday after four prior podium finishes.
Akiri threw 51-0 ¼ on her final attempt to win the weight by three inches over TCNJ’s Allison Lavin.
Akiri previously placed 3rd in the shot at the 2022 indoor meet, 4th in the shot outdoors in 2022, didn’t compete in 2023 or 2024, then took 3rd in the shot and 4th in the weight indoors in 2025, 2nd in the shot and 3rd in the hammer outdoors in 2025.
Akiri threw within 10 inches of her weight PR of 51-11 ¼ from a meet last March in Ithaca, N.Y. She also has PRs of a school-record 42-11 ½ in the shot, a school-record 150-0 in the hammer and 114-5 in the discus.
She also placed 5th in the shot at the conference meet with a season-best 38-6.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 