Troy University Athletics
Austin Places 14th in Javelin at U.S. Junior Nationals
6/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Freshman Norman Austin placed 14th of 15 competitors in the javelin Wednesday at the U.S. Junior National Track and Field Championships. He threw 172-feet, 8-inches (52.64 meters) in windy conditions.
The Championships, for athletes ages 14-19, also serve as the selection meet for the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China. They are being held in conjunction with the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the final stop of USATF's 2006 Visa Championships Series.
Austin qualified for the exclusive event with a school-record throw of 199-feet, 8-inches (60.86 meters) at Clemson's Solid Orange Classic in April.
"There was a pretty tough wind today and Norman had trouble mastering it," said assistant track coach Jill Lancaster, who attended the event. "Considering that he missed out on the NCAA Regional Championship, this has been tremendous experience for him. He has raised the bar this season, setting new personal bests all year."
Lamar Hicks is the Trojans' only other competitor at the event. He is slated to run in the first of three 100-meter preliminaries at 11:20 tomorrow morning. The finals are later that afternoon.
