Topal, Toako competitive at US college meet

ATHLETES Annie Topal and Sharon Toako competed well at the NCAA Division Two National Championships recently in Charlotte, North Carolina, securing fourth place overall and a podium finish in their respective events of triple jump and javelin throw.
Topal jumped 12.81m which was an impressive performance for an athlete in her first season in the USA. Toako was fourth in a closely contested javelin competition with a throw of 47.21m which was just shy of her national record mark of 48.60 set earlier in the season. Only 8cm separated the throwers in second third and fourth, with the event winner throwing 49.11m and second place 47.29m
Competing for New Mexico Highlands University, the two East New Britain women each contributed five points to their teams total of 26 points which secured them seventh place overall.
A total of 116 universities from all over the US were represented at the championships, although some schools only participated in one or two of the 21 events on the track and field programme.