Alison Stephens Heads to Canadian National Track and Field Championships

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock thrower Alison Stephens competed against the best in the Sun Belt Conference during the spring. Now she'll compete against the best from her home country of Canada with a trip to Tokyo on the line.
 
Stephens will compete in the discus throw at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in Montreal, Quebec on June 27.
 
"I'm very excited to have been invited to this opportunity," Stephens said. "I am most looking forward to having the chance to compete with the best in my country, seeing what their level is in-person and knowing that is what I am working towards.
 
Stephens will be competing against a talented field led by former Minnesota thrower Agnes Esser, a three-time All-American with the Gophers that was the Canadian Junior National Champion.
 
In order to advance to the Olympics, athletes will have to meet the Olympic qualifying standard of 63.50m (208-4). That mark is more than eight feet farther than the standard for the 2016 Olympic Games.
 
"My coach and I have been making small technical changes and working those into a competition setting," Stephens explained. "But I think nerves will most likely be my biggest challenge."
 
Stephens had to be ranked in the top eight in Canada and have surpassed a standard (45.00m) just to receive an invitation to the national championship competition. She will enter the competition ranked fifth among all Canadian competitors.
 
The discus competition begins at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 27 at Complex sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal, Quebec.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Track & Field, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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