A year ago, Bates College senior Keelin Godsey set the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships record in the women’s hammer throw, at 195 feet and 4 inches.

On Friday at Benedictine University, Godsey’s hammer traveled far beyond that mark all day long, en route to winning a second straight NCAA championship in his best event.

Godsey set a personal and school record on his final throw of the day, at 206 feet and 5 inches. Knowing the throw was a good one as soon as he released it, Godsey jumped up and down in celebration.

“It was my last throw, so I just want to go all out,” Godsey said via cellphone. “I was trying to go as fast as I could while keeping control. This one I got.

“I was telling myself today, ‘This is my day, my event, and no one can take it from me.’ It worked out for me. This was a great way to end my year at Bates.”

Godsey’s closest competitor, Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Robyn Jarocki, was over 14 feet behind, at 191-10 — “The closest anyone’s ever been behind me,” Godsey said. The third-place finisher, Jarocki’s senior teammate, Danielle Rankin, was nearly equally as far behind Jarocki, at 176-6.

Godsey threw as far as 203 feet and 6 inches during the first round of the competition — more than enough to set the meet record and pocket the championship.

“This year’s been my best year, and I know I’ve matured as an athlete,” Godsey said. “I always do my best to be a competitor, and I had to get one more good throw in.”

Godsey’s achievement also gives him 15 All-America honors in his collegiate career, with one event left. Godsey will compete in the shot put Saturday in his last performance in a Bates uniform.

“It was an amazing feat from an amazing athlete,” said Bates women’s track and field coach Jay Hartshorn. “He had already broken the national record by eight feet, but on his last throw as a Bates athlete, he set a bar that will make it a really long time before anybody matches it. That’s Keelin; that’s what he does.”

Bates College senior Keelin Godsey again proved to be one of the top throwers in the NCAA at any division Thursday at the Penn Relays, finishing second in the hammer throw amongst solely Division I competition.
The 13-time All-America performer threw the hammer a season-best 62.60 meters (205 feet and 4 inches) to take second place in the Championship Division, reserved for the most elite track and field athletes. Godsey came in as runner-up to Jennifer Leatherman of Penn State (65.12 meters) and ahead of Ohio State’s Keturah Lofton (60.19).

Godsey’s performance is the best ever for any Bates women’s track and field athlete at the Penn Relays, and qualifies her to compete at the USA Track and Field Championships this summer, where the best track and field athletes in America of any age compete.

Later in the day, Godsey finished third in the College Women Eastern Division of the shot put, at 46 feet, 5.5 inches, just behind Nina Victorin of Mount St. Mary’s (47-4.25) and Erica Davis of Yale (46-11.5) and ahead of Sacred Heart’s Marsha Locke (46-1.25).

Godsey also came in 15th in the Collegiate Women’s Discus Throw at 44.52 meters, behind Krystal Woods of Clemson (44.57) and ahead of Virginia’s Amy Bilmanis (44.17).

Also competing for Bates at the venerable meet was junior co-captain Kathryn Moore (Pelham, N.H.), who finished ninth in the Collegiate Women’s 3000-meter Steeplechase, in a time of 10:50.24, ahead of Duquesne’s Brianne Scott (10:50.48) and behind Penn State’s Kate Curran (10:49.05).

Liz Wanless is one of 52 state finalists for the 2004 NCAA Woman of the Year award after earning the title for the State of Maine. The award honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.

Wanless ’04 (Belleville, Ill.), the 2004 indoor and outdoor NCAA champion in the shot put and an All-America volleyball player, is the third student-athlete to represent Bates as Maine’s NCAA Woman of the Year. Amanda Colby ’00 and Peggy Ficks ’01 were also Maine winners of the award.

“Bates has been fortunate to have so many strong nominees in recent years,” said Bates Director of Athletics Suzanne Coffey. “Liz continues that tradition, and we are happy that her achievements have been recognized with such a prestigious honor.”

Wanless, who will compete for the University of Florida’s women’s outdoor track and field team as a graduate student this year, is eligible for the award since she has finished her career at Bates as an NCAA Division III athlete.

Wanless is one of just 11 Division III athletes to be a state finalist. A national winner – the NCAA Woman of the Year – will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from among 10 finalists.  The top 10 finalists will be announced Wednesday, Sept. 15.

The national winner will be announced at the 2004 NCAA Woman of the Year dinner Sunday, Oct. 31, at The Indianapolis Westin.  This is the 14th year that the award – one of the top honors the NCAA bestows – will be given.

Liz Wanless won the women’s shot put at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a meet record throw to claim her second national shot put championship on Saturday afternoon at Millikin University.

Wanless ’04 (Belleville, Ill.) won by more than five feet with a toss of 52 feet one-half inch. Wanless was also the NCAA shot put champion at the indoor championship in March.

Kelly Godsey ’06 (Parker, Colo.) won her third All-America honor of the season with a third-place showing at 46-2.5. Godsey was second in the hammer throw on Thursday and fourth in the discus on Friday for the Bobcats. Jackie Luehmann of Gustavus Adolphus finished second with a mark of 46-5.25.

Bates finished tied with Williams for eighth in the team standings with 29 points. Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the team title with 57 points. Calvin was second with 54.3 and Wheaton third with 37.8.

Matt Ondra ’04 (New Tripolli, Pa.) led the Bobcat men, finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the pole vault. Scott Cooper ’06 (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) joined Ondra as an All-America honoree, finishing seventh in the hammer throw. The men’s team scored six points to finish tied for 46th.