2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round
Thursday, May 26
Haugh Track & Field Complex | Bloomington, Ind.
Live Stream | Live Results | Thursday Heat Sheet | Schedule of Events | Tickets
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior Jessica Mattsson is looking to etch her name further in Belmont University women's track and field history as she nears the end of her decorated Bruin throwing career. The Tierp, Sweden, native competes in her third NCAA East Preliminary Thursday in the hammer throw at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary meet hosted by Indiana University at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex in Bloomington, Indiana.
The women's hammer throw is slated to begin at 10 a.m. CT with the first of three heats, which are comprised of 16 competitors each. Mattsson is in the third heat with the top throwers in the NCAA East Region. She will be joined by throwers from Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, North Carolina, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Notre Dame, Memphis, Army West Point and Penn.
"Jessica is in a great spot physically and mentally," said throws coach Joe Frye. "She's maintained her composure like a pro these past two weeks and has done really well with the transition to life after classes let out earlier this month. I'm excited to see her compete and I know she'll do her best like always."
The No. 9 seed in the event, Mattsson enters the preliminary round with the 22nd-best hammer throw mark in the nation.
At the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in Murray, Kentucky, two weeks ago, Mattsson had her best performance of her career. In sultry conditions, Mattsson put together the best hammer throw sequence in school history. She repeated as OVC hammer throw champion while setting both the program and outdoor championship meet record with a throw of 216 feet (65.84m) on her second attempt. Tying for the ninth-best mark in the NCAA East Region with her record throw, three of Mattsson's six attempts surpassed 213-3 (65m).
After notching a personal record in the shot put with a distance of 41-0.25 (12.50m) at the OVC Outdoor Championships, Mattsson was named OVC Outdoor Co-Field Athlete of the Year.
Finishing 28th in the hammer throw at last season's NCAA regional meet, Mattsson placed 31st at the East Preliminary as a sophomore in 2019. She is attempting to become Belmont's first field athlete, men's or women's, and the seventh Bruin overall (Caleb Corprew - 2018, Hannah Wittman - 2016, Lynette Rives - 2009 and 2008, Lauren Williams Weaver - 2008, Christy Csorna - 2004, Keely Weaver - 2000) to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
During the outdoor regular season, Mattsson won the Georgia Tech Invitational on April 22 with a then school record hammer throw of 203-8 (62.07m) and was runner-up at Vanderbilt's Outdoor Music City Challenge on April 30 with a mark of 202-2 (61.62m). She also claimed silver at the OVC Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, on Feb. 23 after setting the program record in the weight throw with a launch of 60-3.75 (18.38m).
Single-day tickets to the NCAA East Preliminary are $15 with children two years or younger gaining free admittance.
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