by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com

Growing up as a thrower in Astoria on the Oregon coast, Laura Bobek dreamed of one day setting the Ducks' school record in the discus.

On Thursday, in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field, Bobek was down to the final attempt of her career with that dream unrealized. Then, she unleashed a throw that finally cemented her coveted place in the UO record book — and might just have propelled the Ducks back into contention for the team title.

A surprise finalist after throwing 177 feet on her first attempt, Bobek followed with a personal best 180-5 on her fifth attempt and then a school record 184-8 on her final throw. That put her in third place and gave Oregon six team points at the national meet.