2018 NCAA Division III Hammer Throw Results
LA CROSSE (May 26, 2018) - UW-Stout's
Sam Elsner (Sr, Pardeville/Portage) closed out a successful year, and his career, by earning his fifth All-America award in 2018. Elsner finished eighth in the hammer throw at the 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship at UW-La Crosse Saturday.
The medal was the third for Elsner in this championship. The Blue Devil senior won the discus throw on Thursday and was eighth in the shot put Friday. At the 2018 NCAA indoor meet in March, Elsner won the shot put and was second in the weight throw, earning Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Elsner's career medal tally is finalized at six. His first All-America medal came as a freshman in 2014 when he finished eighth in the discus throw. Elsner transferred to the University of Minnesota and competed two years for the Gophers before returning to Stout.
In the hammer throw, Elsner tested the waters with an opening throw of 179-feet, 0.50-inches. All of his remaining measured throws exceeded 183 feet, with his best effort coming on his second toss at 188-4. Elsner threw 183-1 on his third throw, opened the final round with a mark of 183-9, fouled on this fifth throw and finished his career with a 183-8 on his final throw.
St. Thomas' Eric Holst won the event with a distance of 211-4. Holst lead from the start and would easily have won the event with his second throw of the day, but topped out in his final throw of the day after fouling twice in the finals. Augustana's Cody Wheeler was second at 201-10.
After the hammer throw, as a team, Stout was eighth with Elsner accounting for the Blue Devils' 12 points. It appears Stout will gain additional points from
Noah Zastrow in the pole vault, but the event was in progress.
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