Elizabeth Weiers Finishes 11th At NCAA Outdoor Track And Field Championships

CANTON, NY – Gustavus Adolphus track and field hammer specialist Elizabeth Weiers (Sr., Le Center, Minn.) finished in 11th place out of 21 throwers at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at St. Lawrence University on Friday afternoon. Weiers recorded a throw of 168-feet 7-inches in her second trip to the national competition.

“Liz has been a very consistent performer over the past few years for us and today was no different,” said head coach Dale Bahr. “She competed very well and was just shy of her best throws. Liz wasn’t the most recruited athlete coming out of high school, but the fact that you have an individual like Liz performing at the national level, really shows the unbelievable work ethic she has and dedication she’s put into her track career and in the classroom.”

“Combining the skill level she did have with the work ethic and being a student of the game allowed Liz to learn the hammer throw, which was a new event for her coming out of high school,” Bahr added. “She was always trying to learn something new and continued to improve upon her competitiveness as well. Liz proves that you don’t need to have all the talent in the world, but that if you work hard and show dedication, it is possible to not only get to the next level, but be successful at the next level.”

Melanie Brickner of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh took home championship honors, as she recorded a throw of 192-feet 7-inches. Whitney Simmons of the University of Texas at Tyler was second with a throw of 191-feet 9-inches, while Kadie Flynn of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point rounded out the podium with a throw of 187-feet 11 inches.

The event concludes a decorated career for Weiers who finished in 13th place at the 2014 NCAA Championships with a throw of 165-feet. This season, Weiers successfully defended her 2014 MIAC title with a winning toss of 168-feet 9-inches. She was Gustavus’ first MIAC Champion in the hammer throw since Tona Schmidtke ’04 captured the title in 2001 and was also program’s first three-time All-Conference performer in the hammer throw since Kirstin Olinger ’96 and Jen Mull ’97 accomplished that feat in the mid-1990s. Weiers also brought home numerous academic accolades, as she was named the NCAA’s Elite 89 winner on Wednesday and was recognized as a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree early Friday.

“Liz is the pinnacle of what a student-athlete is,” said Bahr. “The academic achievements she has earned speaks volumes about the successful balance she has created between being a student and athlete. Anytime you lose someone with that type of dedication to both her studies and your program is a huge loss and we’re really going to miss her and her leadership next year. However, I know she’s going to be incredibly successful in her next adventure, and we’re excited to follow her progress as she does great things away from Gustavus.”

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