SAINT-DENIS, France – Former Indiana State standout thrower Erin Reese made her Olympics debut Sunday morning, earning a top-15 finish in the hammer throw inside Stade de France.
 
Competing in the first of two qualifying groups, Reese finished the day with a top mark of 70.23m (230-005) to place seventh out of 15 in her group and 14th of 30 overall. She recorded a mark of 68.74m (225-06) on her first attempt before producing her top mark with her second throw of the competition. 
 
Reese missed on qualifying for the finals by less than one meter, while her 14th-place finish is tied for the best-ever finish by an Indiana State track and field alum in an Olympics event (Felisha Johnson – shot put, Rio 2016). It took multiple athletes recording their best marks on their final attempts to prevent Reese from advancing to the finals.
 
Reese qualified for the US Olympic Team through her third-place finish at the US Olympic Trials, defeating four athletes ranked in the top 25 in the world in the hammer throw. Despite not having the Olympic standard, she earned enough points to qualify for Paris via the world rankings, earning one of the last spots in the field.

Reese showed steady improvement throughout the 2024 season, with her best marks all coming in meets towards the end of the Olympic qualifying window. Her top four results came at the Jack Brow Memorial Open (72.10m/236-06), the Billy Hayes Invitational (71.46m/234-05), the Sycamore Open (71.42m/234-04) and the US Olympic Trials (71.21m/233-07), all meets which took place between late April and the end of the Olympic qualifying season. Her 2024 campaign culminated with Sunday's top-15 finish in the hammer throw in her Olympic debut.
 
Reese was the second current or former Sycamore student-athlete to make her Olympic debut in as many days, as swimmer Chloe Farro placed 32nd out of 79 in the 50-meter freestyle prelims. Another former Sycamore All-American thrower, Mary Theisen-Lappen, will compete in weightlifting August 11, while former standout sprinter Noah Malone will represent the Blue and White at the Paralympic Games later in August.
 
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