Ole Miss’ Raven Saunders had a scintillating season debut in the shot put over the weekend and was rewarded as the Southeastern Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
Following a 2016 sophomore campaign that saw her break the all-time collegiate records for the indoor and outdoor shot put, as well as represent Team USA with a fifth-place finish at the Rio Olympics, Saunders picked up right where she left off in her first competition as an Ole Miss junior. The Charleston, South Carolina, native established a world-leading shot put of 19.10m/62-8 that is over five feet farther than the next-best in the NCAA this year.
Here are some more notes about Saunders’ amazing performance at Vanderbilt’s Commodore Invitational last weekend:
Second-best indoor throw of her career, behind only her collegiate record of 19.23m/63-1.25
Fifth-best mark in NCAA indoor history
First woman in NCAA history to throw 19 meters in January
Only woman in NCAA history with three shot puts of 19+ meters indoors
Broke her own facility record of 18.98m/62-3.25 from last year
Also placed second among collegians in the weight throw with a heave of 20.22m/66-4.25, which ranks her ninth nationally
Saunders was a five-time SEC athlete of the week recipient last year (four indoor, one outdoor). She was also a two-time national athlete of the week winner a year ago.
Ole Miss is back in action this Friday-Saturday at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky.
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Courtesy of Ole Miss
