Faith Thompson

SACRAMENTO, CA - University at Buffalo fifth-year senior Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) saw her stellar collegiate career come to a close with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, CA this afternoon.

Thompson's best mark (187-8/57.20m) in today's qualifying round came on her first throw, placing her sixth in her nine-person flight and 15th overall. The top 12 advanced to Saturday's final round.

Thompson entered the national championship meet, the first of her career, with the 15th-highest mark on the NCAA's descending order list of 199-6 (60.80), a school record that she set at the NCAA East Regional meet on May 27 at which she finished third.

"Faith definitely gave everything she had today and I think she enjoyed the experience," said UB women's track and field head coach Vicki Mitchell. "We were hopeful that she would advance to the finals, but it just didn't work out that way. She plans to continue training and knows there is a lot she can still accomplish in the hammer throw, so she's putting this into perspective and taking it as a learning experience. She has been a phenomenal asset to our team for the past five years, and we're thrilled that she's going to continue training and still be around next year as a second-year grad student. She's just a great role model for our younger athletes."

Thompson ends her career with four school records to her name - the indoor shot put (48-9/15.16m), the indoor 20-lb. weight throw (65-6.75/19.98m), the outdoor shot put (50-9.25/15.47m) and the outdoor hammer (199-6/60.80m). She was a two-time Mid-American Conference champion (2005 indoor weight throw and outdoor hammer) and a three-time Academic All-District I honoree.