Complete javelin results

TURLOCK, Calif. – Even in an event with no stopwatch, timing was everything for Brittany Aanstad.

The Seattle Pacific junior saved her best throw of the day for last, flinging the javelin 151 feet, 1 inch, and Carly Andrews threw a career-best 144-9 to finish second and third, respectively, on Saturday at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships.

Aanstad and fellow Falcons junior Andrews were part of a 1-2-3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference performance in the jav at Warrior Stadium on the Cal State Stanislaus University campus. Western Washington senior Monika Gruszecki won her second NCAA title, this one with a mark of 163-6.

Grueszecki was competing in the first flight; Aanstad and Andrews were in the second flight.

“Monika came out and put this big mark out there, and it definitely affected the rest of the field,” SPU coach Karl Lerum said. “Our kids came in the second flight and might have pressed a little more than they should have. They weren't throwing like they have been throwing of late.

“To their credit, they came back from a rough start and put it together.”

Saturday's performance moved Aanstad (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) up two places from her fourth-place finish in 2010. It also made her an All-American for the second straight year.

Andrews (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah HS) earned her first All-American honor.

Aanstad and Gruszecki were the top two seeds coming into the meet – Aanstad at 159-4, Gruszecki at 156-1. Andrews was the No. 8 seed. Her 144-9 mark was 11 inches better than her previous career long of 143-10, which she hit twice this season, most recently on May 7 at the Ken Shannon-Ken Foreman Invitational in Seattle.

Aanstad was the ninth and last qualifier for the finals out of the three trials rounds, with a top mark of 132-0. Then, she went 135-6, 140-10, and finally, 151-1.

Andrews went steadily up during the trials rounds, starting at 124-3 and climbing to 134-6. On the second of her three throws in the finals, Andrews flung it 144-9, putting her into second place. The only one to pass her after that was Aanstad.

"In a javelin competition, anything's possible. So third place was possible but I was just hoping to get in the top 8," Andrews said. "When the official was reading the results from eighth to first, I thought there was a mistake because I wasn't hearing my name at the bottom of that list. Then he got to third and there it was. It was a good surprise."

Added Lerum, “It didn't play out the way they envisioned, but I'm proud of their resiliency and turning it around and getting a mark.”

The career-best for Andrews was her seventh of the year. She came into the season with a long of 132-5, which she set last season as a sophomore. She threws 133-2 in the season-opening UPS Outdoor Preview on March 5 in Tacoma, then gradually bumped that up to 133-9, 137-2, 138-0, 141-6, and 143-10.

"I wouldn't say I threw well, but I was able to stay focused and get one good one in there," Andrews said. "And I'm happy with that one throw. It's nice to end the season on a PR."

SPU wound up with 17 points, one more than last year, and finished as part of a three-way tie for 15th.

Junior Ali Worthen joined Aanstad and Andrews as an All-American by finishing sixth in the heptathlon on Friday. Her total of 5,044 points was her first time beyond 5,000 and was the fifth-highest score in GNAC history.


NCAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
NCAA Division II Championships
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Warrior Stadium at Cal State Stanislaus/Turlock, Calif.

Javelin – 1, Monika Gruszecki (Western Washington) 163-6 / 49.85m. SPU placers – 2, Brittany Aanstad 151-1 / 46.06m; 3, Carly Andrews 144-9 / 44.12m.