JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Towson University senior
Phontavia Sawyer and freshman
Hayley Horvath provided countless thrills and memories during the 2019 outdoor season. They both set records in their respective events and advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Championships East Region Prelims.
Competing at boiling-water hot Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida, Sawyer and Horvath's terrific seasons concluded Friday afternoon. In her final collegiate event, Sawyer participated in the discus. Horvath, the first pole vaulter to appear in the East Region Prelims, cleared her opening height.
Despite the tough ending for both, they have helped raise the bar of excellence for the Tigers under fourth year head coach Mike Jackson. This season, the Tigers as a team finished second at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships. The ECAC finish was the best in program history.
Horvath will enter next season as a reigning CAA champion. She also won the pole vault at the Penn Relays this year. The two-time CAA Field Athlete of the Week cleared 13 feet four times this season. Her future is bright and she'll return even better and more determined. Horvath will compete in the USATF Under 20 championships in June along with
Crystal Johnson and
Olivia Janke.
"It was a great experience to be able to compete against some of the best vaulters in the country," Horvath said. "Hopefully I will be back next year and do better. I wasn't nervous, I had to trust in my training and previous meets and I knew I deserved to be there so I was calm."
Meanwhile, Sawyer smiled when she reflected on her great career and thought about how she's leaving the Towson program better than when she started. The Tigers have a stable of talented, young throwers returning and joining the program that will be motivated by Sawyer's brilliance to achieve plenty of awesome accomplishments in the future.
In addition to departing Towson as the school record holder in the discus, Sawyer is also No. 3 all-time in Towson history in the shot put. She's the third thrower in Towson history to make NCAA East Prelims in consecutive years. Sawyer is also the first thrower in history to participate in NCAA East Prelims in two different events. Sawyer threw the shot put at last year's meet.
"My first two throws were bad," Sawyer said. "I felt my last throw came out well, but I clipped the front of the circle so it didn't count. I felt like I finished the season good even though I am not going to nationals. I am thankful for my time here at Towson and I am excited to see what the program achieves in the future."
Up Next
Michella Obijiaku competes in the shot put Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
