July 2, 2008

EUGENE, Ore. - Concordia University junior discus thrower Annie Hess placed 23rd in the qualifying round of the women's discus, ending the Bickleton, Wash., native's competition at the U.S. Olympic Trials. 

Hess improved on all three of her attempts but still finished well below her season best with a 153-2 (46.68m) on her third and final effort.

Stephanie Brown Trafton, competing for Nike, unleashed the top throw of the evening with a 208-8 (63.31m).Trafton was followed by Suzy Powell-Roos in second with a 201-5 (61.39m) and Aretha Thurmond in third with a 201-1 (61.29m) as the top three participants cracked the 200-foot barrier.

The top 12 athletes will move on to Sunday's finals with the University of Miami's Khadija Talley capturing the final qualifying spot with a 173-3 (52.80m).

Hess, a two-time NAIA national champion, came into the U.S. Trials with the eighth-ranked mark in the country. Earlier this month, Hess set the NAIA championship meet record with a 192-7 toss to successfully defend the title she captured as a sophomore. Hess finished the year with the best mark among U.S. collegiate athletes in 2008.

Hess will next compete as a representative of the U.S. national team at the 2008 NACAC Under-23 Track & Field Championships held in Toluca, Mexico from July 18-20.