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Brown Trafton Sets New American Record

I just returned from Maui, Hawaii where the Altius Throwdown Discus competition results were stellar! I had the best series to date with five throws in the 65 meter range, two in the 66 meter range, and I threw a personal record of 67.74 meters. This beat the American Record set in the same location back in 2o07 buy Suzy Powell Roos.  The throw happened on the third attempt. Finally my best did not happen on the first throw. It feels good to be able to improve on each throw.

It has been a rocky road to this point as I had the highest of highs back in 2008 bringing home a Gold medal for the USA and then struggled to even compete at an elite level at the end of 2009 and throughout the 2010 season.  I had some uneasy feelings at the 2009 World Champs and I felt like I was on a precipice about to start slipping downhill.  I could see the road ahead would not be one that was going to be enjoyable but I felt that God was directing me along that path anyways. I trusted that He would be there even in the darkest times.  I accepted that I would not have the same level of success that had in 2008 but I had a feeling that God would lead me back up to the top again.  We still have lots of work to do this year to repeat a Olympic medal performance and my faith is strengthened more because I have been at the top, then lead through the valley, and now I feel like I am on the uphill again and He has been with me every step of the way.

Press Release: Brown Trafton sets new American Record

Here is a little background info: At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Stephanie Brown Trafton won the United States’ first gold medal in the women’s discus since Lillian Copeland won in 1932, and the first medal of any kind in that event since Leslie Jean Deniz won silver in the boycott-afflicted 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.   It was a significant personal victory for the 28-year-old Brown Trafton, who has never finished higher than second at a U.S. national championship.  She qualified for her second Olympic team by placing third in the women’s discus at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.Brown Trafton stood in first place after the first round of throwing in Beijing, popping off a strong throw of 64.74 meters/212 feet 5 inches, less than five feet off her personal best. The throw held up for the rest of the competition, and the gold medal was hers.

Brown Trafton had a huge personal best throw when she won the Salinas meet in 2008 with a then-world leading toss of 66.17 meters/217 feet 1 inch. A former six-time All-American in indoor and outdoor track and field at Cal Poly, and an Arroyo Grande High School standout, she threw 61.90 meters/203 feet 1 inch on her first attempt, and ended up finishing second at the 2004 Olympic Trials, thereby making her first Olympic team. Her qualifying throw exceeded her previous personal best by nine feet and also bettered the Olympic A qualifying standard of 61 meters.

Brown Trafton, who at 6 feet 4 inches tall has the leverage most discus throwers can only dream about, currently works as a volunteer Director of Operations for Sacramento State Track and Field.