LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Jaslyn Russell saved the best throw of her career in the shot put for her final one at the 2026 NCAA Track & Field East First Round on Thursday.
 
The Oakdale native threw 51-5.75 on her third and final throw to beat her previous personal record mark of 50-10.75 that she set at the beginning of April. That mark is also ranked as the third-best in school history.
 
Russell placed 31^st among 48 competitors, failing to finish in the top 12 in order to advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The 12^th place mark came in at 55-2.25.
 
Russell had a stellar senior season as a Cowgirl. For the indoor season, she was named the Southland Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Year at the league's indoor track and field championships. She became the first Cowgirl in school history to become a league champion and win a gold medal in the shot put event when she threw 49-11.75. She added a second-place finish and silver medal in the weight throw event with a mark of 58-6 and scored 18 of the Cowgirls' 31 total points at the championship.
 
At the Southland outdoor championships she posted a third-place finish in the hammer throw with a career-best mark of 177-8, a fourth-place finish in the shot put, and a sixth-place effort in the discus.