University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Honors Long with Weekly Award
2/21/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS - Senior Kaitlyn Long has been named this week's Big Ten Conference Field Athlete of the Week after she broke her own University of Minnesota program record in the weight throw at the Parents Day Invite last Saturday. The award marks Long's second B1G weekly accolade of the season.
Long crushed her own Minnesota program record in the weight throw with a first-place throw of 23.14 meters at the Parents Day Invite. She improved on her previous career-best of 22.74 meters, set earlier this season.
At the Parents Day Invite, Long led the competition the whole way, throwing 20.42m on her first attempt and 21.96m on her second attempt; her throw of 21.96m would have been good enough to win as she finished ahead of runner-up teammate Agnes Esser (21.67m), but Long recorded her lifetime best on her sixth and final throw.
Here is the furthest weight throw in @bigten conference history by @kaitlynlong34, 23.14m 75'11". This throw also moves Kaitlyn up to the 7th best performer in NCAA history. pic.twitter.com/Zg8tzyrHO6
- Peter Miller (@MinnCoachMiller) February 18, 2018
With her performance, Long heads into this weekend's Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championship as the top-ranked weight thrower in the conference. She is third in the NCAA in the weight throw this season as well.
A native of Cottage Grove, Wis., Long joined the Gophers this year after spending three seasons at Winona State where she was a two-time NCAA Division II indoor national champion in the weight throw.
Long and the No. 10 Gophers are set to compete at the B1G Indoor Championship this Friday and Saturday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
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