June 25, 2010

DES MOINES, IOWA - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville track and field and softball alumnus Alicia DeShasier (Carrollton) finished third in the women's javelin throw on Friday night at the United States Track and Field National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Just one year removed from finishing fourth at the U.S. Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., DeShasier, a volunteer coach for the University of Wisconsin women's track and field team, notched a personal best on her second throw during the final round with a toss of 182 feet, 2 inches (55.53 meters).

"It was great to be back," said DeShasier, who was competing in her first meet in 2010. "I had lot of fun. I really like throwing here. I felt good about my throws, and I am very pleased to have a personal best at a meet like this one."

Kara Patterson, a 2008 Olympian, set an American record finishing first with a toss of 218-9 (66.67 meters).

DeShasier holds the school record in the javelin at SIUE with a toss of 164-9 (50.23m) as well as being a 2006 first team All-American and Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in softball for the Cougars.

Women Javelin Throw Senior/Open
==========================================================================
       World: W 72.28m  9/13/2008   Barbara Spotakova, CZE
    American: A 64.19m  5/6/2007    Kim Kreiner, Nike
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
==========================================================================
Finals
  1 Kara Patterson               Asics                   66.67mA    218-09
      59.62m  60.92m  62.61m  61.42m  62.80m  66.67m
  2 Rachel Yurkovich             Nike                    56.31m     184-09
      54.61m  FOUL  53.53m  FOUL  53.26m  56.31m
  3 Alicia DeShasier             unattached              55.53m     182-02
      49.21m  55.53m  49.17m  48.67m  49.78m  47.64m
  4 Kimberley Hamilton           unattached              54.68m     179-05
      46.70m  54.68m  48.57m  51.55m  53.31m  46.54m
  5 Kayla Wilkinson-Colgrove     unattached              54.45m     178-08
      48.62m  49.35m  54.45m  45.59m  48.31m  51.24m
  6 Amy Backel                   Oklahoma                53.08m     174-02
      46.43m  49.68m  51.54m  52.18m  51.18m  53.08m
  7 Brittany Borman              Oklahoma                51.85m     170-01
      46.78m  47.24m  51.85m  50.47m  FOUL  FOUL
  8 Karlee McQuillen             Penn State              49.87m     163-07
      49.87m  46.59m  47.36m  FOUL  FOUL  PASS
  9 Randi Hicks                  unattached              48.02m     157-06
      FOUL  45.88m  48.02m
 10 Meghan Briggs                Virginia                47.37m     155-05
      44.00m  45.57m  47.37m
 11 Leslie Bourgeois             unattached              46.63m     153-00
      42.46m  FOUL  46.63m
 12 Stephanie Zollman            Central Park TC         46.12m     151-04
      46.12m  45.34m  40.29m
 13 Emily Tyrrell                Montana St-Bozeman      45.76m     150-01
      FOUL  45.76m  45.59m
 14 Ali Pistora                  Kansas State            45.52m     149-04
      45.52m  FOUL  40.74m
 15 Allison Updike               unattached              41.38m     135-09
      FOUL  41.31m  41.38m
 -- Emily Pearson                unattached                 DNS