Texas Tech’s Hannah Carson smashed her own school record on the way to earning a runner-up finish in the javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, in Eugene, Ore., on Thursday.

Carson took the early lead on her first throw, a launch of 55.94m/183-6, but lost the lead in the second round of throws. On her third attempt she fell down during the throw, but unleashed a missile that traveled 57.72m/189-4, decimating her own school record by nearly four feet.

In the finals, Carson held the lead until the final throw of the competition from Virginia Tech’s Irena Sediva, which was enough to take the title away. Four of Carson’s throws went at least 183 feet, and she broke her previous personal record twice.

Carson is already the first Lady Raider to earn All-American honors in the javelin, and this marks her third-straight year to do so, and her second-straight year to be a first team All-American.

“We were so close to having a national champion today,” Texas Tech head coach Wes Kittleysaid. “However, you don’t get many runner-up finishes in this business either. Hannah was incredible today. This was her best series of the season by far, and she had a huge personal best throw, too. You can’t ask for anything else out of her. She had a phenomenal performance.”

In the women’s 200 meter dash, Cierra White ran the second-fastest all-conditions time in school history, a 22.65, to qualify on a time basis for Saturday’s final.

Tech earned a pair of second team All-American honors on the track, as White took 13th in the 100 meter dash (11.26), and Montene Speight placed 16th in the 400 meter dash (53.42).

Speight’s finish makes her the first Lady Raider since 2005 to place in the top 16 in the 400m dash at NCAA Outdoors.

Le’Tristan Pledger placed 18th in the 100m hurdles, with a time of 13.28, and took 16th in the long jump, with a mark of 6.13m/20-1.5, to earn second team All-American honors.

Gionna Jackson took honorable mention honors in the long jump, placing 19th, with a best leap of 6.05m/19-10.25.

Action at the NCAA Championships continues tomorrow, with Tech competing in the men’s high jump (6:00 p.m. CST), and the men’s discus (6:05 p.m. CST).


(Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department)