Zara Northover Thrower Elmont, NY (Sewanhaka)

Track & Field •TEAM PAGE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | RESULTS PAGE

Zara Northover became the first Northeastern University alumna to compete in women's track & field at the Olympic Games on Aug. 16, 2008 when she threw the shot put, placing 16th in her flight. Northover, who represents Jamaica, threw for Northeastern from 2002-07. Northover's second throw of 15.85 meters (52'0) was her best of the competition. Northover qualified for the Olympics with her career-best throw of 17.56 meters (57'7.25) on June 8, 2008. At NU, she went undefeated at the conference level, won four New England titles, four ECAC titles and set the NU record of 55'0.75. She served as a volunteer assistant coach at Northeastern during the 2007-08 season while working in NU's Office of Alumni Relations. She left those positions in the Spring of 2008 to train full-time for the Olympics. As a student-athlete from 2002-07, Northover was one of the top throwers in Husky history. She went undefeated in the shot put at the conference level, winning four America East Championships (two indoor and two outdoor) and two CAA Championships. She set the CAA record of 53’2.25 in the shot put. As a senior, she was named CAA Field Athlete of the Year after winning the shot put, discus and hammer and placing seventh in the javelin, helping lead the Huskies to their first CAA title in any sport. Northover also won the shot put at the New England Championship and ECAC Championship four times each. Her throw of 55’0.75 at the ECAC Championship during the 2007 outdoor season set the Northeastern and ECAC records. Northover was a five-time NCAA Championship qualifier and had the best national finish of her career in her final season, placing 10th at the NCAA Championship during the 2007 outdoor season. 2006-07: Won the shot put at the Husky Winter Carnival, the dual meet vs. Harvard, Great Dane Classic, Reebok Boston Indoor Games...also won the weight throw vs. Harvard and at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games...took top honors in both the shot put (48'10) and the weight throw (58'4.75) at the New England Championship...placed fifth in the shot put (47'11) and 15th in the weight throw (50'6.25) at the ECAC Championship...during the outdoor season, won the shot put at the Northeastern Spring Open, Snowflake Classic, Solomon Husky Invitational...also won the discus at the Snowflake Classic and was named CAA Field Athlete of the Week on April 3 after sweeping both events...named the CAA Field Athlete of the Year after sweeping the shot put, discus and hammer, and finishing seventh in the javelin at the CAA Championship...her toss of 53'2.25 in the shot put broke her own CAA Championship mark, set in 2006...took second in the Championship Division of the shot put (53'0.25) at the prestigious Penn Relays...set a new school and ECAC record with a shot put toss of 55'0.75 at the ECAC Championship May 13...took second place at the NCAA East Regionals with a toss of 54'5.25...placed 10th in the shot put with a throw of 51'3 at the NCAA Championship. 2005-06: Once again was one of the top throwers in the Northeast...capped off the 2005-06 season with a 17th-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Championship after qualifying for the meet with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA East Regional meet...also during the outdoor season, set a meet record of 51’7.75 while winning the shot put, finished seventh in the hammer (143’6), seventh in the discus (120’4) and seventh in the javelin (100’7) at the CAA Championship...named All-CAA...placed fourth in the shot put (50’4) at the Penn Relays and seventh (51’9.25) at the prestigious Texas Relays...took second at the ECAC Championship...indoors, won the shot put (52’3.95) and the weight throw (51’8.08) against Harvard...won the shot put (52’1.75) and placed second in the weight throw (49’0.25) at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games...placed fourth in the shot put (51’7.68) at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational...finished eighth in the shot put (50’8.25) at the Randall Tyson Invitational...won the shot put (52’4) and finished 13th in the weight throw at the New England Championship...won the shot put (52’4) at the ECAC Championship. 2004-05: Redshirt season...competing as an open athlete, threw a personal-best 54’4 in the shot put to win the South Florida Invitational...competing against professional athletes, took fourth in the shot put at the Payton Jordan U.S. Open at Stanford. 2003-04: Placed 12th in the shot put with a throw of 52’7.5 at the NCAA Championship during the outdoor season...broke the NU record in the preliminaries at the NCAA Championship with a throw of 54’1 to place eighth...placed fourth in the shot put (53’9.75) at the NCAA East Regional to qualify for the national championship...won the shot put, placed fourth in the hammer and took seventh in the discus at the America East Championship...won the shot put at the New England Championship and was runner-up at the ECAC Championship...during the indoor season, won the shot put with a throw of 52’9.5 and was second in the weight throw (54’2) at the America East Championship...won the ECAC title in the shot put with a toss of 51’4.25...won the shot put (51’3.5) at the New Balance Armory Collegiate Invitational. 2002-03: Indoors, placed 15th in the shot put (50’1.25) at the NCAA Championship as the only true freshman in the field...tossed the shot put 52’6.75 at the ECAC Championship for the victory...at the America East Championship, won the shot put with a toss of 51’8.5 and placed second in the weight throw (53’11.25)...at the New England title meet, won the shot put (50’8), and was fourth in the weight throw (52’11.5)...outdoors, won the shot put (48’3.25), was fifth in the hammer (145’11.75) at the America East Championship...won the shot put (50’2) at the New England Championship...placed second in the shot put (48’9) at the ECAC Championship and took 13th (48’6.25) at the NCAA East Regional Championship. High School: Competed in indoor and outdoor track for two years...team captain...named All-America twice in the shot put...selected high school and Nassau County Athlete of the Year in 2002...state shot put champ...established school and county shot put record of 46’7...was also All-State in the discus...served as captain and was an All-Conference selection in volleyball...also played softball and basketball. Personal: Born March 6, 1984...served as the America East representative to the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee...majoring in Communications with a minor in Political Science...Class of 2007.