Bingson, the Mountain West record holder in the event who broke the UNLV record eight times, finished with a mark of 235'-6.00" The day's top mark belonged to Amber Campbell, who also competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Campbell's throw was also measured at 235'-6.00," but at 71.80 meters, it was just enough to top Bingson's effort of 71.78 meters.
The third and final spot went to Jessica Crosby (232'-2.00"), who also competed in Beijing in 2008.
But if the performances turned in by the two former Olympians --- Campbell and Crosby --- were hardly surprising, such was not the case where Bingson was concerned. After finishing third at the recently concluded NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Bingson, a two-time first-team All-American, had yet to earn the "A" standard required to make the Olympic team.
That changed Thursday when Bingson unleashed a throw that was more than two feet farther than her record-breaking effort of 233'-1.00" (71.04 meters) at last month's NCAA West Regional Men's and Women's Championship Prelims in Austin, Texas.
"Coming up here (Oregon) all I wanted to do was get to the finals and do well," said Bingson. "I didn't know I was going to do this well though. As soon as I threw that 71.22 I knew that the "A" standard was in me. I just relaxed, went for it and got it. I was in such disbelief at first, but this has been my best series all year. I'm ready to represent the USA at the Olympics and just live this up to the fullest!"
The hammer competition was Thursday's lone event at the trials, which run through July 1.
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its 10 member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
Mark Knudson is a Colorado State journalism school graduate and a 12-year veteran of professional baseball. During his playing career, Mark pitched for three major league teams, including the Colorado Rockies, where he was the first Colorado native to play for the hometown team. He recorded wins over three of the four legendary pitchers who make up the 4,000 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His win over Ryan came for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day in 1991.
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