INDIANAPOLIS – Sophomore Kentucky thrower Emily Bernhardt (Marietta, Ga.) finished first in the finals of the women’s hammer throw at the FinishLine USA Junior Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis.

Bernhardt fouled off three of her first four tosses, but rebounded with a toss of 175-11, which allowed her to capture the event. It was the second consecutive hammer throw title for Bernhardt at the USA Junior Championships.

“It was a little nerve-racking at the beginning when I fouled my first two throws,” Bernhardt said. “I was thinking ‘As defending champion, it would look pretty bad if I didn’t make finals.’ But I got in and was able to throw well enough to win.”

Bernhardt had an impressive freshman campaign at UK, breaking her way onto the Cats’ all-time top-10 lists in the hammer throw (outdoor) and weight throw (indoor).