EUGENE, Ore. -- Northwestern State's Trecey Rew was inches away from a potential national championship in the women's discus throw Wednesday night at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but instead fouled out of the competition, her first-ever national meet appearance.
Rew's first of three attempts Wednesday night wasn't marked because of a foot foul, but it was estimated to have landed well over the 55-meter range, over 180 feet. The ultimate winning mark was 180-4 (54.98 meters) by Jeneva McCall of Southern Illinois. "That first throw was closer to 60 meters than 50," said Lady Demon head coach Mike Heimerman. "It was a bomb. She just rotated out watching it go, a foot foul. As it turned out, that might have won it, and no doubt would have been in the top 4-5 and made her All-American. "Several of the other coaches in the competition came over to us wanting to encourage her, and said Trecey had the winning throw. It may have been in the 190-foot range. Her technique was really good, the distance was awesome, but she did something she hasn't done all year and rotated out. "Her second one was a good throw, just out of bounds, and then she didn't have a good third attempt," said Heimerman. "It's her first national meet. When she won regionals, we saw the national leader foul out the same way. Hopefully she can put this behind her and get ready for the shot put Friday evening." Rew's East regional winning mark of 179-0 would have been second Wednesday night. The NSU junior entered the discus as the 10th-seeded competitor in the field of 24. "You consider she's an athlete who wasn't on the national radar at all starting this season. She didn't reach the regional championships in her last season. But I really felt at the start of the year she could be a top 10 thrower in both the shot and discus, and look at the rankings, and she's done that," said Heimerman. "She was inches away from a legal throw that would have won the national championship tonight. "It's already been an amazing season for her. She's made so much improvement and showed she is one of the best in the country in both events," he said. "If she is just able to go out Friday night and be Trecey Rew, just do the ordinary and not the extra-special, she'll come home an All-American. She deserves it."