Freshman Breaks Hall of Famer's Shot Put Record

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Heading into the 2015 outdoor season, Natalie Williams, who graduated in 2004, owned all 10 of the top 10 all-time distances in the shot put in the history of Goucher's women's track and field program.

After the first day of competition at the 2015 Landmark Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the 2014 inductee into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame, no longer even holds the school record in the event.

Williams was passed today by freshman Bri Prince (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh), who heaved a shot 12.45 meters (40'10 1/4") on her final attempt. Heading into the last round, Prince was in fourth place among the finalists, but she moved up two spots and ended up as the runner-up to Cameron Weaver from Susquehanna.

An effort of 12.57 meters (41'3") allowed Weaver to repeat as Landmark champion in the shot put.

The school record established by Williams at the 2003 Messiah Invitational was 12.09 meters (39'8 1/4").

Goucher scored points in only one other event today, earning five for a fourth-place finish in the pole vault by sophomore Rebecca Kotula (Fallston, Md./John Carroll School). She successfully cleared 2.29 meters (7'6").

With a team score of 13 points, the Gophers ended the first day in sixth place.

Goucher will have a finalist in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes on Sunday as junior Monique Welch (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) qualified today in both events. She will be seeded fourth in the 100 based on her preliminary time of 12.91 seconds, which is the seventh-fastest outdoor time in that event in program history. She was clocked at 26.88 seconds in the 200, which is the eighth-fastest outdoor time in program history and makes her the No. 8 seed in that event.