STANFORD, Calif. -- Lena Giger climbed to No. 2 on the national collegiate list with a personal-best shot put throw of 18.09 meters (59-4.25) in the invitational section of the Triton Invitational in La Jolla on Saturday and earned Pac-12 Women's Field Athlete of the Week honors.
The distance was a personal record and brought her to within 2 1/2 inches of Jillian Camarena's school record. Giger now is No. 8 on the Pac-12 all-time performers' list and strengthened her hold on the No. 2 spot in Stanford history. This is Giger's second career Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Week honor after earning her first accolade last April 25.
Giger, a senior who was coached by her father David at Highland (Ill.) High, broke Stanford's indoor record this season and placed sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships last month. It was her highest national finish. She was 17th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year.
Giger's effort moved the Pac-12 into the top three spots on the NCAA event leaderboard so far this season, with Arizona State's Maggie Ewen on top and UCLA's Ashlie Blake in third.
Giger is scheduled to compete in the shot put at the Cardinal Classic, a two-day meet at Cobb Track and Angell Field that begins Friday. The event is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m.
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Stanford is set to host the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships on May 5-6 and May 12-13 on Cobb Track and Angell Field. The first weekend, with the multi-event athletes competing, is free to the public. Tickets ($10/adult; $5/student, youth, seniors) are required to watch May 12-13. Fans can save $5 per person by purchasing their tickets online, and in-advance. To secure your tickets for the Championships, visit gostanford.com/pac12track.