Three medals for NSW athletes at NCAAs - US College Finals

11 June 2023

Three medals for NSW athletes at NCAAs - US College Finals

The climax of the US College athletics season, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association), saw eight NSW athletes make it to the finals, held in Texas this week.

In an outstanding performance, three NSW athletes finished on the podium. Oregon distance runner Izzy Thornton-Bott (UTN) won silver in the 1500m, Lianna Davidson (ASW) won silver in the javelin and Jackson Sharp (RCR) was third in the 5000m.

Izzy Thornton-Bott, the Australian mile champion, make the semi-final last college season, but this year progressed smoothly from the semis into the final. Rated fourth by Track and Field News magazine ahead of the meet, Izzy, who has a 1500m PB of 4:08.33 set last month, placed second to Harvard’s Maia Ramsden, clocking 4:09.21. NSW athletes have had a lot of success in this event with Jessica Hull winning gold and silver during her time, also at Oregon University.

On day two of the championships, Lianna Davidson, competing for Texas A&M, threw a PB to claim the silver medal in the javelin throw with a distance of 58.78m. Lianna, who has set three lifetime bests this US college season, opened her competition with a PB 57.70m. In second place early, she was shuffled down to third in round four, but Lianna rallied in round five to throw her silver medal winning mark of 58.78m.

Her throw also moved Lianna to number eight Australian all-time. Before she headed to America, she trained with Angus McIntyre and alongside Mackenzie Little who herself won two NCAA javelin throw titles.

Former Run Crew member, Jackson Sharp, placed a terrific third in the men’s 5000m. In a tactical race, Jackson clocked 14:06.77, in the race won by Queenslander Ky Robinson, just two seconds faster in 14:04.77.

In his third year at college, Jackson performed about expectation, as he was rated fifth going into the race. It was his third NCAA bronze this year, after third places in the Indoor 3000m and on the Wisconsin University distance medley relay. He also follows in the footsteps of another NSW athletes who attended Wisconsin, Morgan McDonald, who won this title in 2019.

Other NSW athletes completing were:

-Overcoming a terrific injury a few years while in the US, Carley Thomas has battled back and closed her college career at Washington University with an excellent 800m time of 2:02.02 – her fastest for 4 years. She placed seventh in her 800m heat.

-Illawong’s Kash Powell, who was fifth in his 800m heat, clocked 1:49.48.

-Ed Trippas (Bankstown club) placed ninth in the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 8:38.26.

-Former Trinity college student, Alexander Kolesnikoff, now at Harvard, was ninth in the shot with 19.80m

-North Coast’s Hayley Kitching, in her first year at college, was eighth in her 800m heat with 2:10.61.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Izzy Thornton-Bott