ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – La'Shantena Rounds saved the best performance of her college career for her last.
The senior Cowgirl thrower became the first Cowgirl track and field athlete to earn All-America honors for an indoor season after she finished fourth at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a school record throw of 71-6 ¼.
The Baton Rouge native actually broke her own school record twice in Friday night's event, the first time on her second throw that traveled 69 feet, 9 inches to break her old personal and school record of 68 feet, 9 inches that she set a month ago at the third of three McNeese hosted indoor meets.
She topped that with her final throw of 71 feet, 6 ¼ inches that moved her into third place, but Purdue's Dani Bunch kept Rounds off the medal stand when she edged out Rounds on her final throw by a half an inch.
Brea Garrett of Texas A&M won the event with a mark of 72 feet, 8 inches followed by UCLA's Ida Storm with a heave of 71 feet, 10 ¼ inches.
Rounds, who entered the event ranked 15th among the 16 competitors, swept through the indoor season with six first place finishes, including notching her third straight Southland Conference championship.
In addition to becoming the first indoor female to earn All-America honors, Rounds is just the fourth Cowgirl in school history to earn the highest honor, joining Sarah Salmon (1997), Samantha Chesson (1997), and Michell Rzepka (2006), all of whom won the honors in the outdoor season.
Rounds' fourth-place finish is the highest by a Cowgirl at the NCAA championships, indoor and outdoor.
La'Shantena Rounds Throws:
1st – Foul
2nd – 69 feet, 9 inches
3rd – 67 feet, 3 inches
4th – Foul
5th – 67 feet, 10 inches
6th – 71 feet – 6 ¼ inches