JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Indiana State redshirt senior thrower Cassaundra Roper finally broke through the barrier and qualified for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in the shot put on the final day of the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round.
 
Roper made her first appearance of the weekend on the hottest day at Hodges Stadium so far, which made for a battle with her competitors as well as the heat and humidity. The Indianapolis, Ind., native was in the top-20 in the East entering the contest and she would improve upon that.
 
On her first toss of the day Roper recorded an okay mark of 14.94m (49-00.25), which placed her outside of the top-12. She showed improvement on her second throw which measured in at 15.91m (52-02.50), still outside of the top-12 just barely in 15th. Those throws setup an all-or-nothing situation, and Roper rose to the occasion by recording a final toss of 16.34m (53-07.50) for an eighth place regional finish. Her placement sends her to the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career.
 
Prior to Roper stepping into the ring, Erin Reese competed in the first flight of the competition for her third event of the weekend. Much like Roper, Reese improved on each throw, starting at 14.28m (46-10.25) on her first attempt. She improved to 14.86m (48-09.00) on her second throw before ending her shot put career by tying her personal-best and eighth-farthest throw in school history of 15.29m (50-02.00) on her last heave. After the first two flights, Reese found herself in ninth place, but ultimately would end in 33rd.
 
With the conclusion of the shot put, Indiana State's weekend in Jacksonville has come to a close. Two athletes will represent the blue and white in Texas at the NCAA Championships, as Reese qualified in the hammer throw on Thursday and then the discus on Friday. Roper earned her spot on the final throw of the final event for the Trees.
 
The dynamic duo will compete one last time in their careers at the biggest stage in collegiate track and field, the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by University of Texas in Austin, Texas on June 5-8. The hammer throw and shot put will take place on Thursday of the championships while the discus throw will take place on Saturday, June 8.
 
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