KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

DES MOINES, IOWA ? Indiana State senior Kelsey Hanley completed her Sycamore career today as she placed 23rd in the women's discus competition at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships being held at Drake University.

Hanley fouled on her first attempt but her second throw went 140'-8” (42.89 meters). Her final throw of the competition went 148'-11” (45.40 meters) but wasn't far enough to advance her into the second round of throws.

“Kelsey has had a great career at Indiana State,” Angie Martin, Sycamore women's track & field coach, said. “I am proud of all the accomplishments she has had and that she got to finish her collegiate career at the NCAA meet. I think it was bittersweet for her. She threw decent but just could not catch a big one.”

Northwestern State senior Trecey Rew won the championship on her final throw of the competition as she went 192'-4” (58.64 meters). Arizona State freshman Anna Jeimini also had her best throw on her final attempt as she was second at 190'-2” (57.97 meters).  

Hanley has consistently been one of the best throwers to attend Indiana State and capped her career by setting the Indiana State record in the women's hammer throw with a distance of 205'-4” (62.58 meters) at the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She also has ISU's second best throw in the discus at 170'-8” (52.64 meters) which she threw at the 2011 EIU Big Blue Classic this year.

This was her first trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championship after three straight appearances at the NCAA Indoor Championship.

Hanley earned First Team All-American recognition in Indoor Track & Field after placing seventh in the women's weight throw at the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. It was her third trip to the national championship in the event and her highest finish. Hanley was 13th at the 2010 Indoor Championships and 15th in 2009. She has the second best weight throw in ISU history at 68'-9.25” (29.96 meters) which she threw at the 2010 MVC Indoor Championships.

Two other members of the Indiana State track & field team will see action later this week as junior Major Clay competes in the men's high jump and sophomore Felisha Johnson competes in the women's shot put and hammer throw.

Clay is making his third trip to the Outdoor Championships and will compete at 6:20 p.m. (ET) Friday. He qualified by clearing 7'-0.25” (2.14 meters) at the East Preliminary.

Johnson is competing in her first NCAA Outdoor Championship Finals and will compete in two events as she qualified in the women's hammer throw with a throw of 199'-8” (60.85 meters) and in the women's shot put with a toss of 54'-3.75” (16.55 meters) at the East Preliminary. Johnson will compete in the women's hammer throw at 4 p.m. (ET) on Friday and come back to compete in the women's shot put at 12:00 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

She is the first Sycamore women thrower to compete in two events at the NCAA Championship finals since Jenny Folz competed in the hammer throw and shot put at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Folz went on to finish 11th in the hammer to earn All-American recognition.

Johnson's throw in the shot put at the East Preliminary is the second best in school history as she surpassed ISU All-American Jenny Folz who had a throw of 51'-9.25” (15.78 meters) in 1999. All-American Christy Barrett holds the ISU record of 56'-10.75” (17.34 meters) which she threw in 1991.

The Sycamore sophomore also has the fourth best hammer throw in school history when she went 200'-7” (61.14 meters) at the Tom Botts Invitational and the ninth best throw in discus at 151'-11” (46.31 meters) at the EIU Big Blue Classic.

She placed ninth in the shot put at this year's East Preliminary after finishing 15th at the 2010 East Preliminary and just missing a trip to the finals. Johnson opened her 2011 East Preliminary competition by finishing fourth in the women's hammer throw and enters the national finals ranked 10th in the hammer throw and 11th in the shot put.

Johnson is a First-Team Indoor All-American and won the National Championship in the weight throw at the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships with a school record throw of 74'-5.75” (22.69 meters). She was a provisional qualifier and the first athlete out for the 2010 Indoor Championships. She also ranks second on the ISU All-Time list in the Indoor shot put with a heave of 52'-2” (15.90 meters) accomplished at the 2011 MVC Indoor Championships.

Clay was named an All-American in the high jump last year after finishing 11th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2010.  He tied for ninth at this year's East Preliminary after a fourth place finish in 2010. He was fifth at the Mideast Regional in 2009 but failed to make the opening height at the NCAA Finals. He was also ninth at the USA Track & Field Championships a year ago. He is ranked 17th heading into the 2011 NCAA Finals.

The junior is a three-time MVC Outdoor Champion and cleared the third best height in ISU history of 7'-3.25” (2.22 meters) at the Pacesetter Invitational. He has also won the last two MVC Indoor titles after a third place finish in 2009 and tied the ISU indoor record by clearing 7'-4.5” (2.25 meters) at the Grand Valley Big Meet. Clay has also competed in the last two NCAA Indoor Championships and earned Second Team All-American recognition with an 11th place finish this year and finishing 12th in 2010.

Live Results: http://www.ncaa.com/content/di-outdoor-track-field-live-results