Heidi Lieffort earns second discus All-America honors
COLFAX NATIVE Hiedi Lieffort recently earned her second career All-America award for a second time while competing in the discus competition for UW-Stout during the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships this past May. —photo courtesy of the UW-Stout Athletic Department
By Layne Pitt / UW-Stout Sports Information Director
LA CROSSE — UW-Stout’s Heidi Lieffort (Senior, Colfax) earned her second career All-America award in the discus when she placed sixth at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship Thursday, May 24, at UW-La Crosse.
Lieffort, who last year placed eighth, threw the discus 150-feet, 8-inches on her second throw of the day to finish sixth. Lieffort fouled on her first throw, then got herself into the finals on her second throw, the throw that would eventually get her a couple of steps up the awards podium. Lieffort fouled on her final throw of the preliminaries and on the first throw of the finals. She counted her fifth throw with a mark of 144-1, then nearly surpassed her best throw when she marked a 150-5 on her last throw of the day.
Monique Newton of Oberlin College won the event with a distance of 164-6, edging out UW-Eau Claire’s Erica Oawster (162-7).
Stout’s Lydia Meier also competed in the discus, but fouled in all three events. Meier will compete in the hammer throw Saturday where she is seeded second.
Career
Here are Heidi Lieffort’s accomplishments in her track and field career at UW-Stout and at Colfax High School:
• 2017 — earned All-America honors in discus; all-WIAC honors in javelin and discus.
Outdoor — earned All-America honors in the discus with an eighth place finish at NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship with a toss of 143-8; seeded fifth in the discus with a first-place throw of 160-0, set at the St. Mary’s Open; all-WIAC in javelin with second place mark of 117-3; finished third in discus at WIAC Championship with mark of 150-5; finished second at Phil Esten Challenge in javelin with mark of 113-1; best javelin mark of season was 118-7 at Willie Williams Classic.
Indoor — competed in the shot put, with a season-best throw of 31-3.25 at the St. Thomas Showcase.
• 2016 — earned All-WIAC honors in javelin.
Outdoor — competed in discus; competed javelin for first time in college; placed second in javelin (120-4) at WIAC Outdoor Championship; set third-best javelin throw in school history (124-3) with first place finish at Phil Esten Challenge; set career-best discus toss (141-6) with third place toss at UW-La Crosse Qualifer.
Indoor — competed pole vault (10-8) at WIAC Indoor Championship.
• 2015 — earned team’s rookie of the year honors.
Outdoor — placed seventh at WIAC Outdoor Championship in discus, also competed at conference outdoor in pole vault; competed pole vault (10-8.25), discus (138-5, fourth at Tulsa Duels), hammer throw (138-11); captured first in discus (136-1) at UW-La Crosse Ashton May Invite; second in pole vault at Tulsa Duels (10-8).
Indoor — competed 60m (8.68), pole vault (10-8.25), weight throw (44-4.75); qualified to WIAC indoor championship in weight throw and pole vault.
• Colfax High School — four-time state track & field competitor, four times advanced to state in pole vault, runner-up as senior, fifth as junior; placed eighth at state in discus as junior, advanced to state in discus as senior; conference discus champion as junior, conference pole vault champion as senior; second in discus, third in long jump at conference meet as senior; 3-times advanced to state meet in cross country, team placed fourth in 2011 (sophomore year), also advanced during freshman and senior seasons; second team all-conference cross country.
• Personal — enjoys hunting, fishing, the outdoors, working on the hobby farm, singing, playing piano and guitar, paddle boarding, kayaking. Parents: Dave and Carol Lieffort of Colfax.
