Alumna Brooke Andersen punched her ticket to Tokyo this weekend with a personal best 77.72-meter hammer throw.
Andersen, an All-American thrower who graduated from NAU in 2018, came in second place at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and earned a place on the U.S. Olympics team.
The Big Sky Conference record holder stepped into the ring on June 24 to compete in the women’s hammer throw preliminary round. Andersen threw 72.16 meters to advance to Saturday’s finals, with the top three qualifying for Tokyo.
Showcasing her status as one of the best in the United States, as well as the world, Andersen earned a silver medal with a throw of 77.72 meters. Her first throw of the day would have qualified her for a place on the team, hitting 74.38 meters before topping it with her best distance of the day on her second throw.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics begin July 23 with opening ceremonies at Japan National Stadium, which will also be the site of track and field competition beginning on July 30. Women’s hammer throw opens on Aug. 1 with the preliminary round before finals are held on Aug. 4.Other NAU athletes and alumni who competed include:
- Freshman Nico Young, who advanced to the 5000m finals with a second-place finish between the two heats and a time of 13:36.74. He finished ninth overall on Sunday with a time of 13:35.94.
- Alumni Diego Estrada and Lopez Lomong and freshman runner Abdihamid Nur competed in the 10,000-meter race.