FIVE OF THE WOMEN in this competition had thrown 70 meters during the season, and each was a legitimate candidate to take the title. Three of them started strong, Shelby Frank of Texas Tech taking the early lead with her 228-3 (69.59) opener. She was jumped a few throws later by Texas State’s Lara Roberts, who went 229-6 (69.97). Emma Robbins of Oklahoma State sat 3rd after her initial offering of 227-3 (69.27).
The other two contenders, 2023 champion Stephanie Ratcliffe and West Point cadet Emily Fink stumbled a bit out of the gate, which was interesting because they probably had more at stake than the others. (Details to follow in our July issue Last Lap)
Fink was the first thrower in her flight, and she stepped in for round 2 determined to reach a distance that would at least guarantee her 6 throws. Unfortunately, she was called for a foul at the front of the ring. Her coach, Brian Woodbury, protested, but to no avail. One more misfire and she was done.
Frank notched another solid attempt, 227-4 (69.31), after which her coach, Cliff Felkins, guaranteed she would throw 71 meters if she just kept plugging away.
Roberts improved to 231-0 (70.42), and Ratcliffe jumped in the fray with a 228-6 (69.64) toss that vaulted her to 2nd.
Round 3 began with Fink launching a throw that looked to be 70 meters, but once again she was called for a foul. Video replay showed her heels hovering over the top of the ring as she released the implement, but they did not appear to touch down. Once again, Woodbury protested, and once again he was denied. It was a devastating end to a remarkable college career. Woodbury believes that Fink is talented enough to be an Olympian. “If she can throw 71 meters taking 19 credits and sleeping four hours a night,” he asked, “what could she do if she trained like a normal thrower?” Stay tuned.
Frank, plugging away as directed, hit 229-4 (69.90) that round to knock Ratcliffe to 3rd. This left Roberts in the lead and Robbins in 4th.
In round 4, Ratcliffe made her move, dropping a 234-2 (71.37) season’s best to take the lead.
There were no more changes in the standings until round 6 when Frank, still plugging, popped a 233-1 (71.05) PR to jump into 2nd and make her coach look like a genius. “Felkins told me to have faith and go in and just move the ball,” she explained afterwards. “I…
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