Rice University’s Simpson-Sullivan places fifth at NCAA Track and Field Championships

Tara Simpson-Sullivan represented the Rice women’s track and field team with a strong performance at the NCAA championships last week in Austin, Texas, placing fifth in the hammer throw.

Simpson-Sullivan opened the women’s competition by grabbing points for the Owls as she jumped from eighth to fifth on her fourth attempt of the day with a throw of 67 meters. The mark earned her first-team All-American honors for the second time in her career and marks her fifth All-American honor overall.

Erna Gunnarsdottir and Mckyla Van der Westhuizen also represented the Owls in Austin, both placing 11th in their respective events. Gunnarsdottir’s best effort in the shot put was 17.24 meters, while Van der Westhuizen threw the javelin 52.29 meters.

For the Rice men’s track and field team, Grant Levesque placed ninth in the decathlon, amassing 7,739 points during the two-day competition and setting a personal best in two events. Alexander Slinkman placed 11th in the pole vault on the opening day of competition.