Andersen elevates to No. 3 performer in American history, 14th all-time in the world with 251-9 (76.75m) effort in Idaho 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Brooke Andersen made quite a first impression in her debut Saturday with the Iron Wood Throws Club.

The Northern Arizona graduate, who has been training this year in Manhattan, Kansas before signing Wednesday, took over the world lead in the women’s hammer throw at the fifth annual Iron Wood Classic at the Iron Wood Throwers Center in Rathdrum, Idaho.

Andersen produced a fourth-round effort of 251 feet, 9 inches (76.75m) to elevate to the No. 3 performer in American history and 14th all-time in the world.

Only DeAnna Price – who set the American record of 254-9 (77.65m) at last year’s Iron Wood Classic before elevating the mark three weeks later to 256-3 (78.12m) at the USATF Outdoor Championships – and Gwen Berry at 255-2 (77.78m) are ahead of Andersen in U.S. history.

Their efforts last summer rank Price and Berry as the world’s Nos. 4 and 5 all-time performers.

Andersen surpassed both athletes Saturday to secure the world lead, giving the Americans the top three performers globally this season.

Even Andersen’s sixth-round effort of 250-5 (76.33m), the second-best mark of her career, would have been enough to move ahead of Berry’s 250-1 (76.23) effort from April 6 in Texas. Andersen boasts the third- and fourth-best marks in meet history, trailing only Price, who concluded her series with a 253-foot effort (77.11m) last year.

Former Kansas State standout Janee Kassanavoid placed second to Andersen with a fifth-round mark of 235 feet (71.63m). Her 239-6 (73.00m) effort from April 27 in Louisiana still ranks Kassanavoid as the No. 10 performer in the world this season.

Daniella Hill and Jeneva Stevens, who represented the U.S. last year at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, took the top two spots in the women’s shot put. Hill produced a winning mark of 61-2.75 (18.66m) and Stevens had an effort of 59-11 (18.26m).

In another battle of top American professionals, Whitney Ashley prevailed in the women’s discus with a throw of 203-8 (62.07m) to hold off Gia Lewis-Smallwood at 202-8 (61.77m), both marks ranking in the top 20 in the world this season.

Florida graduate Avione Allgood, representing the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, won the women’s javelin with a throw of 175-10 (53.59m). Bethany Drake, a two-time NCAA Division 2 national champion at Western Washington, was second at 171-1 (52.14m).

The top three performers in the men’s shot put were all decided by less than two feet, with former Buffalo standout Jonathon Jones earning the win at 69-1 (21.05m), followed by South Carolina graduate Josh Awotunde at 68-7 (20.90m) and three-time NCAA Division 2 national champion Garrett Appier of Pittsburg State with a 67-4 (20.52m) effort.

Brian Williams, who competed for Ole Miss, secured victory in the men’s discus with a throw of 198-11 (60.62m), with China’s Shen Tan placing second at 188-11 (57.58m).