In early June and just under a year and a half removed from an ACL tear, Falcon redshirt sophomore Aliyah Gustafson competed in the shot put with the some of the best athletes in the country at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Gustafson finished 24th in a field of the 24 best throwers in Division I with a throw of 49-feet-6.25.
She also notched 48-4.5 and 49-3.5 on her other throws. She was one of only 12 competitors to throw at least 48-feet in each of their throws.
“It was good to get out here in front of this crowd and to keep up with the elite shot putters,” Gustafson said. “I was a little nervous at first, but I just tried to zone in and focus on what I was doing and give it my best shot.”
Gustafson’s throws at the NCAA’s national meet fell short of her season best of 51-feet-11, which she threw at the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio, in late April. While she did not compete in the discus at the Championships, she had done so this season, her best throw being 144-feet-0 at the Toledo dual in early April.
“I told Aliyah to think about where she was a year ago today, rehabbing and starting a summer job,” BGSU throws coach Matt Conley said. “Everything that could go right for us this year has gone right for us. After the year she endured last year, it was a special thing to see unfold.”
As the course of the season went on and on, improbability from Gustafson’s injury turned into sureness that she was destined to accomplish feats that only a handful of Falcon athletes can say they have done.
Gustafson, one of the best competitors for the Falcons, helped lead the team to one of the best throwing seasons it has ever had. She consistently competed among the top ranks of throwers in the Mid-American Conference, broke the BGSU throwing record, won the MAC Championship and made it to both Regionals and Nationals.
“This whole season has been a wonderful thing to be a part of,” Conley added.
With Gustafson returning and coming off of invaluable experience at the NCAA Championships, it’s looking like next season will be too.
Day Two of the 2016 NCAA Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 9, 2016 (Eric Evans Photography)
