Sweet Six: Card garners her sixth first-team All-America honor

Thursday, June 9

Eugene, Ore.

12:30 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

NCAA Outdoor Championships

Sweet Six: Card garners her sixth first-team All-America honor

June 09, 2016 | Women's Track & Field

Senior finishes fourth in shot put at NCAA outdoor championships

EUGENE, Ore. -- Despite dealing with wet conditions at Hayward Field, Wisconsin women's track and field standout Kelsey Card pulled out a fourth-place showing in the shot put during the second day of competition at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday.

It marked the sixth time in her career that Card, the Big Ten Conference record-holder in the shot put, has earned first-team All-America accolades.

Card finished the competition with a mark of 57 feet, 11 inches on her final throw of the night.

"Kelsey obviously struggled tonight, but she battled back as she always does," UW Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "It took a mark of 55-7 on her third attempt to make the final and then it took a big third effort in the final of 57-11 to grab fourth.

"Kelsey never quits, even when she's not at her best, as she just finds a way to do her best. We are all very proud of the way she competed out there tonight."

"I don't think I was as aggressive enough as I should have been," Card said. "I'm just going to try to take that lesson into Saturday. It's great to be a first-team All-American again and even though it wasn't the distances that I wanted, I was proud of how I was able to come back on my third and sixth throws, especially on my sixth throw."

The senior began the day with a toss of 54-2 before fouling her second throw of the competition.

Heading into the third round of throws in the prelims, Card sat in ninth place, but moved up three spots after a mark of 55-7.

In the finals, Card fouled her first two attempts before unleashing a bomb of 57-11 to move up a pair of spots in the standings.

Mississippi's Raven Saunders broke the collegiate record in the shot put with a mark of 63-5 to win the competition.

Card returns to action on Saturday at 5:05 p.m. CT in the discus, as the Plainview, Illinois, native holds the NCAA's best discus throw of the year of 204-2.

"I just want to try to build off today," Card said. "I want to springboard and go further in the discus. I've been practicing well and I'm hoping everything turns out well."

In addition to Card, a pair of first-time NCAA competitors earned honorable mention All-America honors on Thursday.

Freshman Haley Showalter, the school record-holder in the hammer throw, finished 21st with a mark of 188-7. Showalter became the first UW female thrower to compete in the hammer at the NCAA championships.

Sophomore Taylor Amann cleared 13-3 1/2 in the pole vault to tie for 21st. Amman cleared the height on her final attempt before barely missing on her first and third attempts at 13-9 1/4, which would have been a personal-best mark.

"Both Haley and Taylor are young and competing in their first NCAA championships, which can be a wee bit overwhelming," Byrne said. "They will learn and grow from their experiences here in Eugene.

"Haley doesn't have much time to dwell as she will come back West to compete at the USA Junior Outdoor Championships later this month when she tries to make Team USA for next month's IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland. She is the No. 7 ranked junior thrower in the world, so she has USA's to look forward to.

"Taylor will take a well-earned break to recharge and I'm confident that she will return hungry to work hard and continue to improve."

Wisconsin multi-events standout Georgia Ellenwood starts the heptathlon on Friday at 2:30 p.m. with the 100-meter hurdles. Ellenwood, who finished 10th in the heptathlon at last year's NCAA meet, continues the heptathlon Saturday at 1:30 p.m.