June 27, 2015
EUGENE, Ore. -
Former San Diego State track and field athlete Whitney Ashley qualified for the World Championships in Beijing by finishing second in the discus throw at the USA Outdoor Championships Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
Ashley, who won the 2012 NCAA title in the discus while competing for the Aztecs, finished second today at the USA meet with a toss of 204 feet, 1 inch (62.21 meters). It was her second runner-up finish at the meet in three years (also 2013). Ashley's best throw came on her first attempt. In all, three of her six throws broke 200-00.
By finishing among the top three and reaching the IAAF qualifying standard, Ashley qualified for the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing from Aug. 24-25.
Gia Lewis-Smallwood won the event with a mark of 207-00 (63.09m).
Allison Reaser, meanwhile, sits in 16th place after the first day of the heptathlon with 3,326 points. The NCAA runner-up in the event in 2014 while competing for San Diego State, Reaser began the day by taking 13th in the 100-meter hurdles in a wind-aided time of 13.85 seconds to pick up 1,000 points. Next up was the high jump, where she was 15th with a mark of 5-03.25 (1.61m) for 747 points. In the shot put, Reaser took 14th with a heave of 36-11.75 (11.27m) for an additional 613 points. She ended the first day with a seventh-place showing in the 200 in a wind-aided time of 24.15 for 966 points.
The final three events of the heptathlon will be contested on Sunday, beginning at 10:45 a.m. PT with the long jump.
Sharon Day-Monroe of ASICS leads the event with 3,858 points.
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Hayward Field - Eugene, Ore.
June 27, 2015
Discus Throw (out of 19 entrants)
1. Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Nike / NYAC) - 207-00 (63.09m)
2. Whitney Ashley (Nike) - 204-01 (62.21m)
3. Shelbi Vaughn (Texas A&M) - 199-04 (60.76m)
Heptathlon (after 4 of 7 events) (out of 16 entrants)
1. Sharon Day-Monroe (ASICS) - 3,858
2. Barbara Nwaba (ABEO/SBTC) - 3,838
3. Erica Bougard (Unattached) - 3,766
16. Allison Reaser (World Athletics Center) - 3,326