WITH FORMIDABLE control of the competition, Jaida Ross bid adieu to her appreciative Eugene fans. The recent 2x Collegiate Record setter — 65-7¾ (20.01) to win the West Regional — overcame some nerves after opening with 61-10½ (18.86) and followed with 62-9½ (19.14). A promising start.
Among her challengers, only Nebraska’s Axelina Johansson with 64-1¼ (19.54) came in with a personal best longer than Ross’s second effort.
“Those first two throws felt like misses,” said Oregonian Ross, whose North Medford high school coaches were in attendance. “So I knew some more could be ‘there.’ I wanted to get as much out of this season as I could!”
She got more on her final throw, 64-2½ (19.57) — just 2¾ (7cm) shy of Ohio State Buckeye Adelaide Aquilla’s 64-5¼ (19.64) meet record from ’22.
As fate would dictate, the rest of the field could only shoot for 2nd. All of Ross’s 6 tosses would be further than anybody else’s. The eventual runner-up, Gabi Morris of Colorado State, struggled in rounds 1 and 2 before hitting a PR in frame 3, 61-2¾ (18.66).
Defending champion Johansson, who placed 8th in the World Indoor in March, pushed her five legal throws out to 58-11¼ (17.96) or better and finished 3rd at 59-10¼ (18.24).
Louisville’s Jayden Ulrich opened at 58-8½ (17.89) but couldn’t improve with her remaining throws and finished in 4th. Colorado State’s school recordholder, Mya Lesnar, had edged Ross at the NCAA Indoor 60-9½ (18.53) to 60-7¼ (18.47). She placed 5th here.
During the final 3 rounds, there were no position changes and only Ross and Alida van Daalen of Florida, in 6th, improved their bests.
Of winning in front of the home crowd with her prep coaches looking on, Ross said, “They just told me that the only other NCAA champion from North Medford was Dick Fosbury, so this is a pretty cool thing to have my name on. I’m super proud of this.”
The winner added that she strove mentally to stay in competition mode, no matter her margin on the field: “My mindset the whole time was that I’m not winning. Somebody’s going to pop a throw, I need to throw farther. Not once before that last thrower threw before me did I see myself winning as far as my mindset.”
WOMEN’S SHOT RESULTS
(June 06)
1. *Jaida Ross (Or) 64-2½ (19.57) (x, 6 C)
(61-10½, 62-9½, 62-7¾, 61-10¼, 61-6¼, 64-2½) (18.86, 19.14, 19.09, 18.85, 18.75, 19.57);
2. Gabby Morris (CoSt) 61-2¾ (18.66) PR
(55-6¼, 57-11, 61-2¾, 56-3¼, f, f) (16.92, 17.65, 18.66, 17.15, f, f);
3. *Axelina Johansson’ (Nb-Swe) 59-10¼ (18.24)
(59-5¾, 59-3½, 59-10¼, 58-11¼, 58-11½, 59-7) (18.13, 18.07, 18.24, 17.96, 17.97, 18.16);
4. *Jayden Ulrich (Louis) 58-8½ (17.89)
(58-8½, 55-3½, 58-3¼, f, 57-¾, 56-2) (17.89, 16.85, 17.76, f, 17.39, 17.12);
5. *Mya Lesnar (CoSt) 57-11¾ (17.67)
(57-7½, 57-11¾, 56-2¾, 57-9, f, f) (17.56, 17.67, 17.14, 17.60, f, f);
6. **Alida van Daalen’ (Fl-Neth) 57-5¾ (17.52)
(54-3¾, 57-3, f, 57-5¾, f, f) (16.55, 17.45, f, 17.52, f, f);
7. Sarah Omoregie’ (Vand-GB) 56-11¼ (17.35)
(54-8¼, 56-11¼, f, f, 54-3¼, 55-10½) (16.67, 17.35, f, f, 16.54, 17.03);
8. ***Nina Ndubuisi’ (Tx-Ger) 56-3¼ (17.15)
(56-3¼, f, f, 53-6½, 56-2, 55-6¼) (17.15, f, f, 16.32, 17.12, 16.92);
9. Marilyn Nwora (Tx) 56-2 (17.12)
(51-7, 53-0, 56-2, 54-11¼, f, 53-8¼) (15.72, 16.15, 17.12, 16.74, f, 16.36);
10. ***Mensi Stiff (Ms) 56-1¾ (17.11) PR; 11. Jhordyn Stallworth (MsSt) 55-11¼ (17.05); 12. **Megan Hague (Aub) 55-8¼ (16.97) PR; 13. *Chrystal Herpin (Tx) 55-6¼ (16.92); 14. ***Tuane Silver’ (Ok-Nam) 55-¼ (16.77); 15. ***Gracelyn Leiseth (Fl) 54-2 (16.51); 16. Veronica Fraley (Vand) 53-11¼ (16.44); 17. ***Anthonett Nabwe (Mn) 53-10¼ (16.41); 18. *Nana Gyedu (WaSt) 53-8¼ (16.36); 19. *Kelsie Murrell-Ross’ (Ga-Grn) 53-1 (16.18); 20. **Katrin Brzyszkowská’ (VaT-CzR) 52-2¾ (15.92); 21. *Selase Sampram (ArSt) 50-7½ (15.43);… 3f—*Janae Profit (Va), Jordyn Bryant (Fres), ***Akaoma Odeluga (Ms).