Tausaga Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa sophomore thrower Laulauga Tausaga was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week after setting two school records at LSU, the conference announced Wednesday.

Tausaga won the discus and shot put competitions at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7. The Spring Valley, California, native broke her own record in the discus with a career-best throw of 59.86 meters (196-5) and replaced a 26-year-old shot put record with a mark of 16.31 meters (53-6.25).  

The conference’s reigning discus champion leads the Big Ten in the event and is third in the shot put, including holding an 11-foot lead in the discus. Nationally, she is fifth overall in the discus and 18th in the shot put.

The accolade is the first of Tausaga’s career and Iowa’s fourth of the outdoor season. Reno Tuufuli, Brittany Brown and Antonio Woodard earned the honor on March 21.

The Hawkeyes host the 19th annual Musco Twilight meet tomorrow, beginning at 12 p.m. (CT). Admission to the event is free.