National Athlete of the Month | Jessica Cosby | September 2011

High School: Grover Cleveland (Reseda, Calif.) HS '00
College: UCLA '05

Career Highlights: Four-time USA Outdoor champion ('06, '08, '09, '11); 2007 NACAC champion; 2004 NACAC runner-up; 2004 NCAA runner-up; 2002 NCAA Outdoor SP champion; 2001 USA Junior SP and HT champion

After a second-place finish at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships, Jessica Cosby, 29, regained her spot atop the ranks of American hammer throwers with a victory at the 2011 Championships. With the win, she earned a spot on her third World Outdoor team. Cosby, who was also the 2009 US champion, won her the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, topping the field with an Olympic Trials record throw of 70.72m/232-0 and followed it up with her third in winning the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships. Cosby claimed her first national title at the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships when she upended the American record holder and defending champion, Erin Gilreath. Cosby threw a personal-best 70.78m/232-3…In 2003, Cosby continued to improve with her fourth-place finish at USA Indoors, and by setting a personal best in the hammer throw of 61.15m/200-7. Placed second in shot put with a mark of 15.33m/50-3.50 (prep personal best) at the 2000 USA Junior Championships…four-time Los Angeles City shot put champion (1997-2000)… placed second in shot put at the 2000 California State Championships (14.95m/49-0.75) and Golden West Invitational (14.86m/48-9)…placed ninth at World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile with a best of 14.93m/48-11.75…at the 2001 U. S. Junior meet, Cosby became the first athlete in history to win both the shot put (16.68m/54-8.75, personal-best, No. 7 in school history, No. 8 on the World Junior list, No. 9 on the 2001 U. S. list) and hammer throw (55.72m/182-10, personal-best, #5 in school history)…voted #3 prep shot putter in the nation in 2000 by Track & Field News, earning All-American status…Cosby serves as the volunteer throws coach for the Bruins.

2011: USA Outdoor champion (71.33m/234-0)... 1st at Oxy Invite (72.65m/238-4PR).

2010: 2nd at USA Outdoors (71.24m/233-9).

2009: USA Outdoor champion (72.04m/236-4PR)...3rd at Nike Prefonatine Classic (70.68m/231-10)...1st at Oxy Invite (71.15m/233-5).

2008: Olympic Trials champion (70.72m/232-0)...no mark in Olympic Games qualifying...1st at JJK Invitational (67.79m/222-5)...ranked #1 in the U.S. by T&FN...best of 70.72m/232-0.

2007: 3rd at USA Outdoors (68.21m/223-9)…8th in qual. at World Outdoors (67.90m.222-9)...NACAC champion (65.15m/213-9)…1st at Westwood (68.34m/224-2)…3rd at Mt. SAC (68.26m/223-11)…ranked #3 in the U.S. by T&FN…best of 68.34m/224-2.

2006: USA Outdoor champion (70.78m/232-3)…1st at USATF West Region Champs (69.50m/228-0)…2nd at Tucson Elite Classic (66.87m/219-4)…ranked #2 in the U.S. by T&FN…best of 70.78m/232-3.

2005: 5th at USA Outdoors (66.81m/219-2)…3rd in HT and SP at NCAA Champs…NCAA West Regional HT champion (65.20m/213-11)…Pac-10 HT and SP champion (66.09m/216-10, 17.11m/56-1.75)…ranked #5 in the HT and #7 in the SP in the U.S. by T&FN…bests of 66.81m/219-02, 17.63m/57-10.25.

2004: 7th at Olympic Trials (64.50m/211-7)…NACAC U23 Champs runner-up (63.70m/209-0)…NCAA Outdoor HT runner-up, 11th in SP (66.88m/219-5, 16.17m/53-0.75)…NCAA West Regional HT champion, 3rd in SP (65.46m/214-9, 16.57m/54-4.5)…Pac-10 HT champion, 3rd in SP…ranked #8 in the U.S. in the HT by T&FN…bests of 66.88m/219-5, 17.25m/56-7.25.

2003: 4th in shot at USA Indoors (16.51m/54-2)…2nd in shot at Salinas (17.01m/55-9.75)…2nd in shot (16.66m/54-8) in Seattle…4th in hammer at Home Depot invitational (61.15m/200-7PR)…bests of 17.01m/55-9.75, 61.15m/200-7.

2002: 1st at NCAA Outdoors (17.38m/57-0.25)…did not compete at USA Outdoors…6th at NCAA Indoors (16.42m/53-10.5)…2nd at Seattle (16.94m/55-7PR)…ranked #3 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 17.38m/57-0.25PR.

2001: 1st at USA Junior SP (16.68m/54-8.75) & HT (55.72m/182-10)…bests of 16.68m/54-8.75, 55.72m/182-10.

2000: 2nd at USA Juniors (15.33m/50-3.5)…9th at World Junior Championships…2nd at Golden West Invitational…best of 15.33m/50-3.5.