March 16, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Senior thrower Ashley Harbin competed in the 20-lb. weight at the 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas, on Friday. The Clarksville, Tenn. native is the first Lafayette female athlete to qualify for the championships and the only representative from the Patriot League this year.
Harbin, who was seeded 13th in a field of 16, threw a distance of 64' 6¾" to record her third farthest distance of the year. The top nine advanced to the finals and the field was so close that Harbin, who finished 12th, was just 25 centimeters away from the ninth-place finisher.
"It was a good day for her," said associate head coach Michele Curcio. "The field was very good. It was a good springboard for the outdoor championships because they will be the same athletes she will compete against in the hammer."
Harbin qualified for the championships when she threw 66' 2¼" to break the school record at the Lafayette vs. Lehigh Dual Meet on Feb. 1. She is the 2008 Patriot League champion in the 20-lb. weight. She also finished second at ECACs on Mar. 9.
She will now turn her attention to the outdoor season, where she is a two-time NCAA Division I National Championships qualifier in the hammer. Harbin will join the rest of the Lafayette track and field team as they kick off the outdoor season at the Shamrock Invitational at Coastal Carolina on Mar. 22.
