Wednesday, June 5
Austin, Texas
Abilene Christian
vs
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Photo by: Brendan Maloney
Brandenburg caps 2018-19 with Second Team All-America prize
6/9/2019 12:46:00 PM | Track & Field
AUSTIN, Texas – Annina Brandenburg couldn't improve on an opening round throw of 176 feet, 5 inches, and the Abilene Christian University sophomore from Dusseldorf, Germany, finished 15th Saturday in the discus throw on the final day of the 38th annual NCAA Women's Division I Track and Field championships.
Brandenburg, one of two ACU women who competed here last weekend, found herself in eighth place after her opening effort, but she slipped to 11th place after her second-round throw of 174-1 and to 15th after her third and final throw of 160-7.
It was the ninth straight meet of the 2019 outdoor season for Brandenburg to throw more than 170 feet. Only on opening weekend back in March did the 21-year-old German throw less than 170 feet. She turned in a personal best and ACU record of 186-6 on May 24 at the NCAA west region qualifying meet in Sacramento to advance to the championships in Austin after earlier winning the Southland Conference discus title in her second season under ACU throwing events coach Jerrod Cook.
Brandenburg and Kayla Melgar, shot putter who finished 22nd here Thursday, were the first ACU women to compete in the NCAA Division I track and field championships in 30 years.
Brandenburg failed to qualify for the nine-woman final later Saturday. Laulauga Tausaga, junior from Iowa, threw 207-6 in the second round, and that mark stood up for the win over 205-8 by Shanice Love, junior from Florida State. Both threw in the second flight with Brandenburg.
"I felt good today," Brandenburg said Saturday after throwing in the 95-degree heat in Mike A. Meyers Stadium on the campus of University of Texas. "I had a good start, but my second and third throws could have been better. I missed the finish on my second throw. It just didn't quite work the way I wanted today."
Brandenburg will compete June 15-16 in the German under-23 national championships in shot put and discus throw in Wetzlar, Germany, in an attempt to qualify for the German team for the under-23 European championships. She must throw at least 175-6 and finish in the top three to qualify for the German team in the discus.
She won the discus in three of her 10 meets this season for the Wildcats – Southland, ACU on May 12, and Baylor – after one title as a freshman last year at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. This spring she was runner-up at Texas Tech and Texas Relay here earlier.
She has best throws of 52-2 in shot put and 150-9 in javelin throw.
Brandenburg, who celebrated her 21st birthday last Monday, and ACU teammate Kai Schmidt, another German who was injured and unable to compete here, will leave Monday to return home. Schmidt will begin rehabilitation for a knee injury suffered May 5 at the Southland Conference championships that required surgery. He hopes to resume training next spring and continue his throwing career. He was favored to qualify for the NCAA meet in shot put and discus throw before the injury and resulting knee surgery May 13.
Schmidt received a master's degree from ACU May 11 after competing in 2019 as a graduate student. He received his ACU bachelor's degree in 2018.
Brandenburg's best finish in the German under-19 championships in the discus throw was runner-up.
Brandenburg and Melgar were the fourth and fifth ACU track and field student-athletes to compete at the NCAA Division I championships in Austin. Last weekend's meet marked the seventh time for the meet to be held in Austin beginning in 1957 when ACU's Bobby Morrow, Olympic Games triple gold medal winner the previous year in Melbourne, won the sprint titles in 9.4 for 100 yards and 21.0 for 220 yards to repeat as NCAA double winner.
In 1985 when the NCAA meet returned to Austin for the fourth time, high jumper Yolanda Henry (sixth at 6-0) and javelin thrower Sonya Smith (fifth at 173-10) represented the Wildcats.
The NCAA Division I championships were also held in Austin in 1974, 1980, 1992 and 2004. The meet will return to Meyers Stadium in Austin on June 10-13, 2020.
Brandenburg, one of two ACU women who competed here last weekend, found herself in eighth place after her opening effort, but she slipped to 11th place after her second-round throw of 174-1 and to 15th after her third and final throw of 160-7.
It was the ninth straight meet of the 2019 outdoor season for Brandenburg to throw more than 170 feet. Only on opening weekend back in March did the 21-year-old German throw less than 170 feet. She turned in a personal best and ACU record of 186-6 on May 24 at the NCAA west region qualifying meet in Sacramento to advance to the championships in Austin after earlier winning the Southland Conference discus title in her second season under ACU throwing events coach Jerrod Cook.
Brandenburg and Kayla Melgar, shot putter who finished 22nd here Thursday, were the first ACU women to compete in the NCAA Division I track and field championships in 30 years.
Brandenburg failed to qualify for the nine-woman final later Saturday. Laulauga Tausaga, junior from Iowa, threw 207-6 in the second round, and that mark stood up for the win over 205-8 by Shanice Love, junior from Florida State. Both threw in the second flight with Brandenburg.
"I felt good today," Brandenburg said Saturday after throwing in the 95-degree heat in Mike A. Meyers Stadium on the campus of University of Texas. "I had a good start, but my second and third throws could have been better. I missed the finish on my second throw. It just didn't quite work the way I wanted today."
Brandenburg will compete June 15-16 in the German under-23 national championships in shot put and discus throw in Wetzlar, Germany, in an attempt to qualify for the German team for the under-23 European championships. She must throw at least 175-6 and finish in the top three to qualify for the German team in the discus.
She won the discus in three of her 10 meets this season for the Wildcats – Southland, ACU on May 12, and Baylor – after one title as a freshman last year at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. This spring she was runner-up at Texas Tech and Texas Relay here earlier.
She has best throws of 52-2 in shot put and 150-9 in javelin throw.
Brandenburg, who celebrated her 21st birthday last Monday, and ACU teammate Kai Schmidt, another German who was injured and unable to compete here, will leave Monday to return home. Schmidt will begin rehabilitation for a knee injury suffered May 5 at the Southland Conference championships that required surgery. He hopes to resume training next spring and continue his throwing career. He was favored to qualify for the NCAA meet in shot put and discus throw before the injury and resulting knee surgery May 13.
Schmidt received a master's degree from ACU May 11 after competing in 2019 as a graduate student. He received his ACU bachelor's degree in 2018.
Brandenburg's best finish in the German under-19 championships in the discus throw was runner-up.
Brandenburg and Melgar were the fourth and fifth ACU track and field student-athletes to compete at the NCAA Division I championships in Austin. Last weekend's meet marked the seventh time for the meet to be held in Austin beginning in 1957 when ACU's Bobby Morrow, Olympic Games triple gold medal winner the previous year in Melbourne, won the sprint titles in 9.4 for 100 yards and 21.0 for 220 yards to repeat as NCAA double winner.
In 1985 when the NCAA meet returned to Austin for the fourth time, high jumper Yolanda Henry (sixth at 6-0) and javelin thrower Sonya Smith (fifth at 173-10) represented the Wildcats.
The NCAA Division I championships were also held in Austin in 1974, 1980, 1992 and 2004. The meet will return to Meyers Stadium in Austin on June 10-13, 2020.
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