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Anne Hess Shatters NAIA Championship Record to Repeat in the Discus

   

Annie Hess

EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. Concordia Universitys defending discus champion Anne Hess returned to the top of the podium at the NAIA championships, this time leaving with the all-time meet record.

On her sixth and final attempt, Hess was measured in 192-7 to successfully defend her 2007 title as well as establish a new school and meet record.

One of her goals was to break the meet record, Concordia head coach Randy Dalzell said. It was great to see her excel with a peak performance which also solidifies her place in the Olympic Trials.

The throw moves Hess mark to the eighth best throw by a U.S. athlete according to the latest performance list by USATF.

Hess added almost six feet to the previous meet record of 186-9 set by Vivian Chukwuemeka of Azusa Pacific en route to winning the 2003 championship. Hess former personal and school record of 183-10 was set at the Stanford Invite last April.

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Anne’s throw qualifies her as a provisional for the Olympic tryouts. She is, however, at the top of the provisional list. She has the  eighth best throw of the year in the nation for this year; the top twenty-four will be invited to the Olympic tryouts. Anne’s throw is 58.69m. Automatic qualifying is 59m.Provisional qualifying is 56m.

Concordia University’s Anne Hess has been voted the 2008 CCC Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Hess, a junior from Bickleton, Wash., capped an outstanding season at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last month by setting a meet record with a throw of 192-7 to win her second consecutive discus crown. Her mark of 192-7 is an all-time best for a female at an Oregon college or university.

She is currently ranked No. 8 nationally and has attained a U.S. Olympic Trials B qualifying standard. Two weeks prior to the national meet, Hess earned Female Field Athlete of the Meet honors at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships after winning two events (discus, hammer) and finishing second in another (shot put).

EUGENE, Ore. – Concordia University junior discus thrower Annie Hess placed 23rd in the qualifying round of the women’s discus, ending the Bickleton, Wash., native’s competition at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Hess improved on all three of her attempts but still finished well below her season best with a 153-2 (46.68m) on her third and final effort.

Stephanie Brown Trafton, competing for Nike, unleashed the top throw of the evening with a 208-8 (63.31m).Trafton was followed by Suzy Powell-Roos in second with a 201-5 (61.39m) and Aretha Thurmond in third with a 201-1 (61.29m) as the top three participants cracked the 200-foot barrier.

The top 12 athletes will move on to Sunday’s finals with the University of Miami’s Khadija Talley capturing the final qualifying spot with a 173-3 (52.80m).

Hess, a two-time NAIA national champion, came into the U.S. Trials with the eighth-ranked mark in the country. Earlier this month, Hess set the NAIA championship meet record with a 192-7 toss to successfully defend the title she captured as a sophomore. Hess finished the year with the best mark among U.S. collegiate athletes in 2008.

Hess will next compete as a representative of the U.S. national team at the 2008 NACAC Under-23 Track & Field Championships held in Toluca, Mexico from July 18-20.

For more information, go to http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/results/P34.asp.

This event was posted by jdormeyer@cu-portland.edu.