by Staff – 27 June ’14
The University of Wyoming’s Mason Finley earned the bronze medal in the discus on Friday at the U.S. Track and Field Outdoor National Championships in Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium. His throw of 61.04 meters (200-3) was just one centimeter behind second-place Bryan Powlen of the Greater Boston Track Club.
“I was very impressed and proud of Mason today,” UW associate head coach Paul Barrett said. “In very bad wind conditions he went for broke and represented Wyoming at a world-class level. It was so great to see the Cowboy jersey on the podium collecting a bronze medal. Mason beat several athletes today who are past Olympians and World Championship participants. This will set him up very well for his future professional career. His performance should lock in Mason’s position to attain a training spot next year at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.”
Battling an unfriendly tailwind, Finley muscled his farthest throw on his second attempt, but was unable to further that mark on his final four attempts. Alabama’s Hayden Reed topped the 18-man field with a toss of 62.19 meters (204-0). Finley came to the competition ranked seventh after throwing 64.17 meters (210-6) at the Cowpoke Open on May 3 in Laramie. He placed 12th at the national championships last summer.
