2008 Woodie Awards
Northeastern Alumni: Alum Competes
Northover likely headed to Beijing Olympics
Jonathan Raymond
Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: Sports
After having achieved the Olympic "B" standard earlier this month and successfully defending her national title Saturday, former Northeastern track star Zara Northover is virtually a lock to represent Jamaica in the women's shot put next month in the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Northover was able to retain her Jamaican national championship title by throwing 16.78 meters at the country's Olympic Trials, enough to beat out her closest competitor at the event, Nadia Alexander, who threw 15.90 meters. The Senior National Championships for Jamaica were held at National Stadium in Kingston during the weekend.
The national title and her status as the nation's top ranked shot putter virtually cemented Northover's spot on the Jamaican Olympic Team, though officials from the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association must make official selections for their national team before anything is technically concrete.
Earlier in the month the 2007 graduate competed at the Island Games in Uniondale, N.Y. and achieved the "B" standard of 17.20 meters with a throw of 17.56 meters, which qualified her for the Olympic Games. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations website, "NOCs (National Olympic Committees) may enter a maximum of 1 qualified athlete per event if he/she has met the 'B' qualifying standard," as opposed to the "A" standard, which would be enough to qualify any athlete.
Northover can still work toward the "A" standard, a throw of at least 18.35 meters. In her last competition before the Jamaican Olympic Trials, the USA Track & Field New England Championship June 15, she threw for 16.21 meters.
Her former coach at Northeastern, Sherman Hart, said he has talked to Northover regularly and expects her to feel at ease in the Olympics and to turn in a good showing.
"She'll be fine, she has absolutely nothing to lose. She'll be very relaxed and calm about it; she'll soak up the whole atmosphere. I think she'll handle it very, very well," he said. "She'll probably have her best throw there ever."
Northover was able to retain her Jamaican national championship title by throwing 16.78 meters at the country's Olympic Trials, enough to beat out her closest competitor at the event, Nadia Alexander, who threw 15.90 meters. The Senior National Championships for Jamaica were held at National Stadium in Kingston during the weekend.
The national title and her status as the nation's top ranked shot putter virtually cemented Northover's spot on the Jamaican Olympic Team, though officials from the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association must make official selections for their national team before anything is technically concrete.
Earlier in the month the 2007 graduate competed at the Island Games in Uniondale, N.Y. and achieved the "B" standard of 17.20 meters with a throw of 17.56 meters, which qualified her for the Olympic Games. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations website, "NOCs (National Olympic Committees) may enter a maximum of 1 qualified athlete per event if he/she has met the 'B' qualifying standard," as opposed to the "A" standard, which would be enough to qualify any athlete.
Northover can still work toward the "A" standard, a throw of at least 18.35 meters. In her last competition before the Jamaican Olympic Trials, the USA Track & Field New England Championship June 15, she threw for 16.21 meters.
Her former coach at Northeastern, Sherman Hart, said he has talked to Northover regularly and expects her to feel at ease in the Olympics and to turn in a good showing.
"She'll be fine, she has absolutely nothing to lose. She'll be very relaxed and calm about it; she'll soak up the whole atmosphere. I think she'll handle it very, very well," he said. "She'll probably have her best throw there ever."
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