AUSTIN, Texas – University of Memphis track & field athletes Samantha Lenton and Amber Simpson concluded their seasons at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, with Lenton going out as a First Team All-American and Simpson earning honorable-mention honors.
Lenton threw the disc 56.75 meters on her third and final throw of prelims to move to seventh in the standings and secure a spot in the final on Saturday night. She then broke the Memphis discus program record on back-to-back throws on her final two attempts of the competition, first with a 58.59-meter throw (192’2″) and then with a 58.95-meter toss (193’5″) to finish fifth in the country and earn First Team All-America honors.
“Sam has worked so hard and diligently for so long to get to this point,” head track & field coach Kevin Robinson said. “We have overcome obstacle after obstacle, and adversity after adversity. The triumph tonight has nothing to do with her distance or her placing. She handled the moment. She competed with composure. She knew she belonged, and she performed at her best when it mattered the most. That is a champion. I am incredibly proud of her. She will never forget this moment, and neither will I.”
NOTABLES
Thursday:
- Amber Simpson finished her season earning honorable-mention All-America status. She threw the hammer 59.24 meters (194’4″) to finish 24th in the country.
Saturday:
- Samantha Lenton earned First Team All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the women’s discus. Lenton threw the disc 58.95 meters (193’5″) and broke the school record on her final two throws to secure her First-Team honors.
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