By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com

RIO DE JANEIRO – Indiana State alum and two-time NCAA Champion Felisha Johnson fell seven centimeters short of qualifying for the finals in the women's shot put at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio this morning, finishing 14th overall.

Johnson – Indiana State's first-ever American-born Olympian to make the U.S. Track & Field team – competed in the rain once again after qualifying for the Olympics at a rain-soaked Hayward Field at Oregon in July in the toughest women's shot put finals in Olympic Trials history.

The Indianapolis native fouled her first attempt, tossed one 17.64m (57-10.50) on her second and slightly improved to 17.69m (58-00.50) on her final attempt. By the time all was said and done, Johnson stood painfully short of qualifying in 14th place, just seven centimeters outside of tonight's final. The top-12 spots advanced to the final, while those who hit 18.40m (60-04.50) automatically gained entry into tonight's event. Fellow Team USA members Michelle Carter (third, 19.01m/62-04.50) and Raven Saunders (fourth, 18.83m/61-09.50) will represent the United States in tonight's final.

Today's performance caps an extraordinary season for the 2013 ISU graduate. In June she hit a monster career-best of 19.26m (63-02.25) at the Chicagoland Throws Series in Naperville, Ill., and she followed that up with a historic qualifying performance at the Trials. In ninth place, Johnson exploded to a near-PR of 19.23m (63-01.25) to briefly take the lead before falling to third and becoming ISU's first-ever American track & field athlete in the process.

Friday is the first day of track & field action in Rio and it will continue through until the final day of the Olympics on Aug. 21.

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.