June 8, 2006

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (www.lafayette.edu) - Sophomore Ashley Harbin's record-breaking season came to a close on Thursday afternoon, as the Lafayette thrower finished 16th in the qualifying round of the women's hammer competition at the NCAA Championship meet at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.

Harbin unloaded a 191' throw, which placed her seventh in the first flight. Following completion of the second group, Harbin ended up 16th among the 28 competitors. She entered the meet seeded 27th out of 28. Harbin was less than 4 ½' off from making the finals cut, which takes the top 12 athletes.

The 191' toss was Harbin's second-best performance of the season, only bettered by her school-record throw of 194' 7", which won her the college division of the Penn Relays back on April 28.

Harbin was the first ever Lafayette female to compete at the NCAA Championship meet and the first track and field athlete overall since Bill Kovalczyk in 1978.