Gustavus' Lisa Brown: "It's Unreal Here."

By Mackenzie Lobby

Located twelve miles southwest of Mankato, right off Minnesota State Highway 60, sits the town of Lake Crystal. On the banks of Crystal Lake, roughly 2,500 people reside. Recently, a Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial High School graduate Lisa Brown put the small Minnesota town on the map by qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in the javelin.

In high school, Brown threw the shot and discus and ran hurdles. When she arrived at Gustavus Adolphus College three years ago, she thought she’d embark on a new athletic endeavor.

“I always knew the javelin was out there and wanted to try it,” she explained.

With no other athletes devoted to the javelin at Gustavus, training is a somewhat solitary endeavor. Coached by Tom Thorkelson, she’s seen a tremendous amount of success at the collegiate level, despite her lack of training partners.

A college junior, Brown has now won the NCAA Division III javelin title twice -- in 2006 and 2008 -- and came in second once, in 2007. The three-time all-American holds both the school and conference record with a throw of 174 feet, 5 inches. It was that throw that propelled Brown to be the first track and field student-athlete from Gustavus to ever qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

With a long list of accolades and achievements, Brown’s Trials appearance on Saturday, started off with a throw of 157-8 , which proved to be her best throw of the day. Her second attempt was 157-2 and her third attempt was 157 feet 9 inches. Brown finished 8th in her flight and 13th overall, but missed qualifying for finals by less than a foot and a half.

Although she didn’t throw as well as she hoped, she spoke of the experience participating in such a monumental event in the track and field mecca, of Eugene, Oregon.

“It’s unreal here,” she said. “I didn’t even expect to make it."

In preparation for the Trials, she says, she extended her training regimen to mimic her schedule between her collegiate conference and national meets.

“I lifted twice a week and threw twice a week,” Brown said. “On the other days I tried to keep workouts lower intensity."

In preparation for her senior season at Gustavus, the Health Fitness major says she’ll “hit the training hard when I get home."

She was no doubt the talk of the town in Lake Crystal on Saturday.

Photo by Victor Sailer http://www.photorun.net/.