Tausaga named Big Ten Female Field Athlete of the Year

Laulauga Tausaga capped her impressive season with one of the conference’s biggest awards.

University+of+Iowa+junior+Laulauga+Tausaga+competes+in+the+shot+put+during+the+second+day+of+the+Big+Ten+Track+and+Field+Outdoor+Championships+at+Cretzmeyer+Track+on+Saturday%2C+May+11%2C+2019.+Tausaga+placed+third+in+the+women+shot+put+finals.+

Alyson Kuennen

University of Iowa junior Laulauga Tausaga competes in the shot put during the second day of the Big Ten Track and Field Outdoor Championships at Cretzmeyer Track on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tausaga placed third in the women shot put finals.

Robert Read, Sports Reporter

Iowa junior Laulauga Tausaga added another accomplishment to her name on Wednesday, as the conference named her the 2019 Big Ten Female Field Athlete of the Year.

The honor caps the historic season from the thrower. Tausaga is fresh off an NCAA title in the discus, in which she put up a personal best and school-record mark of 63.26 meters to become the program’s 14th national champion.

Tausaga is now a three-time All-American in the discus after her performance in Austin, Texas, at the NCAA Championships.

Postseason success also came from Tausaga at home during Big Ten Championships. At the conference meet in Iowa City, Tausaga won the Big Ten title in the discus. It marked her third-career Big Ten title and earned her Field Athlete of the Championships.

Tausaga is the second Hawkeye to earn Field Athlete of the Year, joining Jahisha Thomas, who earned the honor in 2018.