Northover competes in Olympic Games in Beijing
Northover's second throw of 15.85 meters (52'0) was her best of the competition. She did not advance to the final, which was later on Saturday. Lijao Gong of China won the flight (19.46 meters) and Valerie Vili of New Zealand (19.73 meters) won the other preliminary flight. In the final, Vili claimed the gold medal ahead of Natallia Mikhnevich and Nadzeya Ostapchuk, both of Belarus.
Northeastern men's track alumni Thai Loung and Greg Lutz attended the Olympics and were there cheering Northover on. Northover has had limited access to computers while in China, but will be updating her web site, zaranorthover.com, with information about her competition in the Olympics in the near future.
Northover qualified for the Olympics on June 8, when she won the Island Games in Uniondale, N.Y., with a career-best throw of 17.56 meters (57'7.25). That throw surpassed the Olympic "B" standard of 17.20 meters (56'5). She went on to win the Jamaican Olympic Trials in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 28 with a throw of 16.78 meters (55'0.5), beating out runner-up Nadia Alexander. Since that competition, Northover has battled a hand injury but was in good enough shape to represent Jamaica in the Olympics.
At Northeastern, Northover was one of the top competitors in school history. She went undefeated in the shot put at the conference level, winning four America East Championships (two indoor and two outdoor) and two CAA Championships. Northover also won the shot put at the New England Championship and ECAC Championship four times each. She owns the Northeastern shot put record of 55'0.75. She is also among NU's all-time best in the weight throw, hammer and discus although her primary event was the shot put.
As a senior, Northover was named CAA Field Athlete of the Year after winning the shot put, discus and hammer and placing seventh in the javelin. She helped lead the Huskies to their first CAA title in any sport. Her throw of 55'0.75 at the ECAC Championship during the 2007 outdoor season set the Northeastern and ECAC records. Northover was a five-time NCAA Championship qualifier and had the best national finish of her career in her final season, placing 10th at the NCAA Championship during the 2007 outdoor season.
Northover plans to continue training at the highest level and try to earn another spot at the Olympics in London in 2012.
Former Northeastern rowers Dan Walsh (1998-2001) and Marshall Godschalk (2004-07) are also competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing. Walsh is representing the United States in the heavyweight eight and Godschalk is representing the Netherlands in the lightweight four. Both Walsh and Godschalk's crews have qualified for the medal races and will row early Sunday morning.
Northeastern has had one other representative in the Olympics in track & field - Bruce Bickford - in 1988. Bickford, a multiple-time All-American at Northeastern, made it to the final in the 10,000 meter. He was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 10,000 meter by Track & Field News in 1985, marking the most recent time an American was ranked No. 1 in the world in a distance event. Boris Djerassi, Class of 1975, qualified for the 1980 Olympics in the hammer throw, but wasn't able to compete due to the U.S. boycott of the Olympics in Moscow. Djerassi is Northeastern's only NCAA champion in any event, as he won the hammer with a throw of 225'8 in 1975.
Aug. 16, 2008
Boston, MAZara Northover became the first Northeastern University alumna to compete in women's track & field at the Olympic Games on Saturday morning when she threw the shot put, placing 16th in her flight. Northover, who represents Jamaica, threw for Northeastern from 2002-07.
