Casey Bogues, who remarkably became the greatest javelin thrower in the history of the University of Dayton in her rookie campaign this spring, added to her storybook season by once again taking down her own school record on the way to a stunning Second Team All-American finish at the NCAA Division 1 Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The sophomore out of Middletown North High, who was seeded 18th, put an exclamation point on arguably the greatest track and field season by a Dayton athlete by unloading a monster PR of 175-2 on her first attempt to finish 11th in the women's javelin to lock up a coveted Second-Team All-American spot.
-- Dayton Women'sTF_XC (@UDWomensTF_XC) June 11, 2021
The 175-2 by Bogues was a PR by nearly seven feet as she destroyed the school record of 168-3 that she set when she finished first and set the meet record at the Atlantic-10 Championships last month.
Bogues, just the third track and field athlete from Dayton to earn All-American status at the NCAA Championships, is now the highest finisher of any Flyer ever at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with he 11th place finish. She's also the first female athlete from Middletown North to ever compete at the NCAA Championships. And remember, she did all this in just her first ever collegiate outdoor season! How awesome is that!
Bogues wasn't the only thrower from the Shore Conference to make her presence felt.
UCLA's Alyssa Wilson, a junior who starred at Donovan Catholic High, picked up the seventh All-American finish of her decorated career by placing 10th in the hammer throw with a mark of 218-3. Wilson has now earned five First-Team All-American honors and two Second-Team All-American finishes. The only athlete from NJ to qualify in two individual events, Wilson will be back in the circle competing in the discus on Saturday.
Texas A&M's Athing Mu, the freshman phenom from Trenton, easily advanced to the 400m final when she ran a very controlled 51.04 to win her semifinal heat, and she came back to split 50.91as the anchor on the 4x400 that ran the fastest semifinal time of 3:26.74.
Mu, who set the collegiate records in the 400 (49.68) and 800 (1:57.73) this season, will be looking for some redemption in the 400 final on Saturday after she was upset this past winter in the 400 at the NCAA Indoor Championships when she placed second. The way she's running now, there doesn't appear to be any way Mu doesn't capture her first NCAA individual title and bring the Aggies across first in the 4x400.
Richmond junior Brooke Fazio (Ridge High School) had a bumpy ride to the 800m final, advancing after she won a protest after she crashed to the track 250 meters into her heat when LSU's Katy-Ann McDonald interfered with her. McDonald was DQ'd, and Fazio was awarded a spot in Saturday's nine-runner final. Something else to watch for in the 800m final is this will be Fazio's final attempt to earn an Olympic Trials qualifying time. She needs to run 2:02.50 or faster to earn that berth. Her PR is 2:02.73.
In other results involving New Jersey natives:
UConn junior Jordan Torney (Manchester Township) finished 18th in the decathlon with 6,230 points.
Notre Dame senior Lauren Sapone (Red Bank High) finished 23rd in the 3K steeplechase in 10:23.94
Alabama junior Nickolette Dunbar (Whippany Park High) placed 24th in the shot out with a 51-7.
Towson sophomore Hayley Horvath (Notre Dame High) no-heighted in the pole vault.
