NJ's Wilson Smashes UCLA Record In The Hammer Throw


Alyssa Wilson, the greatest high school thrower in N.J. high school history, continued making history by taking down the UCLA record in the hammer throw at Friday's 41st Aztec Invitational at San Diego State University.

Wilson, a true sophomore out of Donovan Catholic High School, unloaded a 223-5 on her sixth and final attempt to finish first, which broke the six-year-old UCLA hammer throw record, smashed the facility and meet records, and is the No. 1 throw in the country so far this season. 

Wilson's 223-5 broke the UCLA record of 223-3 set in 2013 by Ida Stom at the Mt. SAC Invitational, and  broke the facility and meet record of 220-0, set by Leslie Coons (unattached) in 2008. Wilson also had a throw of 220-10 in her series.

The 223-5 by Wilson surpassed her previous personal best of 219-9, which she Wilson achieved last season when she finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.

Wilson, who set the national high school records in the shot put (indoors and outdoors) and also set the NJ state record in the discus, placed fourth in the women's shot put with a mark of 57-0 1/4 and was ninth in the weight throw at the NCAA Championships last month.

Wilson had a remarkable freshman season at UCLA last spring. 

She was the only athlete in the country to qualify for three individual events at the NCAA Championships (hammer, shot put, and discus). Wilson placed fourth in the hammer, and was sixth in the shot. 

Wilson also made history at the USATF Junior Nationals in Bloomington, Ind., winning the hammer and shot put while finishing second in the discus to become the first junior woman to ever qualify for the World Junior Championships in three throwing events. 

Wilson represented Team USA for the third time in her career at the 2018 World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, earning a silver medal in the hammer with a mark of 211-5).  She also finished 10th in the discus at the World Juniors, and made the finals in the shot put.
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