USTFCCCA Release

WINONA, Minn. – For the second time this season, Winona State track and field sophomore Kaitlyn Long has been named National Field Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Long also has been named the NSIC's Field Athlete of the Week.

No woman in DII history has ever thrown as far as Long did at the Saint Mary's Early Birdinal on Saturday. And it's not even close.
 
The reigning national champion – just a sophomore, mind you – unleashed a gigantic 22.25m (73-0) heave on her sixth and final attempt to crush the previous record of 21.50m (70-6½) set by Grand Valley State's Sam Lockhart at the 2013 GLIAC Championships in February. She came close to Lockhart's record on her third throw with a mark of 21.31m. For context, Lockhart threw 20.46m (67-1½) on this same weekend in 2013.
 
Long now has thrown the weight implement 12 times in 2016 – any of those marks would give her the national DII lead. She also sits atop the 2016 all-college leaderboard by nearly a meter (almost exactly three feet) over Kansas' Daina Levy.
 
Long also earned NSIC and USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week awards on December 8.
 
The Warrior track and field team continues competition Friday and Saturday at the Minnesota State Open & Multi in Mankato, Minnesota.