2 days Ago By Tom Miller
GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks native Shelby Frank finished fifth in the discus finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Thursday in Eugene, Ore.
Frank's third attempt went for a personal-best and school-record distance of 201 feet, 11 inches (61.55 meters). Frank was consistent on her six throws.
She threw 58.27 meters, 60.30 meters, 61.
55 meters, 61.32 meters, a foul on her fifth throw and 60.47 meters on her sixth and final throw.
Valarie Allman threw 68.09 meters to win the event, followed by Vanderbilt's Veronica Fraley (62.54 meters), Jayden Ulrich of Louisville (61.
82) and Frank of the University of Minnesota (61.55 meters). Frank was the only woman in the event who was also in the finals for the hammer throw earlier at the U.
S. Olympic Trials. ADVERTISEMENT On Sunday, Frank finished seventh in the finals of the hammer throw with a top mark of 225 feet, 4 inches.
She became the first Big Ten Conference female athlete to finish inside the Top 8 since at least 2000. Frank was a 2020 Grand Forks Red River graduate. She was a seven-time all-state honoree.
She was a six-time state champion. Frank won four-consecutive state discus titles, starting in eighth grade in 2016. She didn't have a state meet as a senior in high school due to the pandemic.
Frank also lettered in basketball three seasons at Red River. Frank's mother, Stephanie Wigness Frank, was a track and field standout at Red River and holds a Top 10 all-time North Dakota high school mark in the discus. She then competed .
