When Bates College senior Keelin Godsey stepped into the circle for his last throw, he already knew he’d won the NCAA Division III hammer throw.

It was time for a little extra.

With thoughts of his final toss as a collegian racing through his head, he settled himself by going into his normal routine for preparation.

Godsey’s final toss traveled 206-feet, 5-inches to set a new Division III women’s record at Friday’s Outdoor Championships at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. Earlier in the day he surpassed his own mark established last year.

“My thing was just to try to go faster and really hit it,” he said. “I had to remember to relax. At that point I had already won the event. I wanted to go all out.”

Godsey’s second throw was 203-6. Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Robyn Jarocki was runner up with her mark of 191-10. Jarocki’s teammate, Danielle Rankin, finished far behind in third place with a throw of 176-6.

“I wanted to make it hard for the second-place finisher to beat me,” he said. “I’m really happy. I was never really satisfied with the (old record). I knew last year that I could throw it a lot farther.”

Bates coach Jay Hartshorn needed only to see Godsey’s reaction to know he had “hit it”.

“You could just tell when it left his hand,” said Hartshorn. “He was excited. Usually when throwers get excited you know it was a good throw.”

Godsey will finish his collegiate career Saturday by competing in the shot put. He is seeded second heading into the event. Thursday he turned in a fourth-place finish in the discus.

The victory in the hammer gives Godsey 15 All-American honors.

Kathryn Moore also achieved All-American status Friday. The Bates junior came in eighth place in the steeple chase despite falling into a water jump on the fifth lap. She finished in a time of 10:49.46.


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