Northover achieves Olympic B standard
By surpassing the Olympic "B" standard, Northover is now eligible to compete in the Olympics in Beijing, China, in August. The opening ceremonies are August 8 and the women's shot put takes place on August 16.
"This year I've faced a lot of adversity, but I've stayed strong with support from my school, friends and especially my mother and sister," said Northover. "I just have to continue to work toward my goal of getting to Beijing and stay strong until I get there."
The next step for Northover to make the Jamaican National team is to compete in the Olympic Trials, which begins on June 26 at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. She is currently the top ranked shot putter in Jamaica. If she wins the Olympic Trials, she will just need approval for selection to the team by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association.
Northover's next competition will be the USATF New England Championship on Sunday, June 15 at Bentley College. The shot put begins at 3 p.m. She is continuing to work toward the Olympic "A" standard of 18.35 meters (60'2.5). During the summer of 2007, Northover won the shot put at the Jamaican National Championship and placed ninth at the Pan American Games.
Over the past year while training for international competition, Northover was a volunteer assistant coach for the Northeastern track & field team and also worked in Northeastern's Office of Alumni Relations. With the Olympics nearing, Northover left those positions to focus on training full time.
Northover continues to live in the Boston area and trains with Northeastern assistant coach Joe Donahue, strength & conditioning coach Dan Boothby and athletic trainer Tony Testa.
While competing for Northeastern from 2002-07, Northover 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. Her throw of 55'0.75 at the ECAC Championship during the 2007 outdoor season set the Northeastern and ECAC records.
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, helping lead the Huskies to their first CAA title in any sport. 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.
Northeastern has had one other representative in the Olympics in track & field - Bruce Bickford - in 1988. Bickford competed in the 10,000 meter. After a stellar collegiate career in which he earned several All-America honors, Bickford went on to be 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. Bickford graduated from Northeastern in 1980. 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.
June 11, 2008
Boston, MANortheastern alum Zara Northover surpassed the Olympic "B" standard in the shot put while winning the Island Games on Sunday at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y. Northover threw the shot put 17.56 meters, or 57'7.25, to surpass the Olympic "B" standard of 17.20 meters (56'5). Northover, Class of 2007, represents Jamaica and is currently the nation's top-ranked shot putter.
