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Tue, May 26, 2009
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Outdoor Track and Field
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Two of the Swedes at the 2009 NAIA national track and field meet last week in Edwardsville, Ill. saved their
best for last.
As a result, Ira Autrey rebroke his school record in the long jump by finishing second in 7.37m (24' 2 1/4") and Jessica Becker rebroke her school record in the shot put and earned a national championship with a 15.70m (51' 6 1/4") throw. Both earned All-American status.
Results
Autrey popped his 24-footer on his second attempt in the preliminaries and was leading the field until the last round of jumps in the finals when Scott Gill of Taylor University hit a 24' 5" (7.44m) on his final attempt. Autrey had one more chance to take it back, but could not and settled for second. The Houston, Tex. sophomore had just broken the school record two weeks earlier at the last chance meet in Emporia before adding to it in Illinois.
It was just the opposite for Jessica Becker. After leading the indoor shot put nationals in early March until the next-to-last throw, only to be beaten by Black Hills State's Aubrey Baxter, this time it was the senior Swede with the ultimate payback.
Baxter was leading the women's shot most of the way until Becker made her final collegiate throw a memorable one - her 15.70m (51' 6 1/4") pushed her into first, but Baxter had one more chance and fouled on her final attempt. Her attempt would have made it close.
It was the ultimate end to a storied career. The shot put champion now has six All-American designations with two championships and two runner-up finishes. Becker also finished a maddening seventh in the discus (the top six places earn All-American status) and was .01 centimeters (or 1 inch) from sixth place.
The first event at nationals may have been tougher to take as the senior from Capitan, NM fouled on all three attempts in the hammer throw.
Also competing by having thrown qualifying marks earlier in the season were junior Amber Dunham in both the shot put and javelin and freshman Mollie Dahl in the shot put. Dunham finished 21st in the javelin with a 38.49m (126' 3") effort and was 15th in the shot put in 12.96m (42' 6 1/4"). Dahl finished 25th in the shot put with a 12.24m (40' 2") effort.
Dahl also qualifed for the indoor nationals in the shot put earlier this year. Dunham played basketball during the winter and did not compete in the indoor season.
Autrey also competed in the triple jump at the outdoor national meet and finished 15th with a 13.76m (45' 1 3/4") effort.
