Hacker Places Fourth in National Meet Hammer Throw

MARIETTA, Ohio - Taylor Hacker earned All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the women's hammer throw on Thursday's first day of action at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships being hosted by Marietta College.

Hacker, a senior from Gig Harbor who came into the meet with a Division III-leading throw of 184-8, had her best throw of the day on her first of six efforts. She took the first round lead with a mark of 171-9, but she was unable to improve on that performance. Ellie Sitek of Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the event with a throw of 175-10.

"If she could have thrown what she consistently throws, she could have won (the national title)," said PLU head coach Heather Kreier. "She felt good going into it." Though she did not win the national title, Hacker did achieve her personal goal of earning All-America honors for the first time in three national meet appearances.

PLU's only other entrant in the national meet, Faven Araya, missed by one place advancing to the final in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Araya, a senior from Portland, Ore., clocked a season-best 1:02.23, but missed out on the eighth and final spot by .29 seconds. Araya earned All-America honors in 2008 by placing third in the event.

- PLU -