May 8, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Junior Will Barr (Urbana, Ohio) has been named a National Strength Coaches' All American, announced by the organization this spring. Barr is a junior thrower on the Nittany Lion track and field squad, who specializes in the discus, 35-lb weight, and hammer throw. Barr the Nittany Lions will begin the championship portion of their season this weekend, traveling to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Madison, Wisc.
According to the NSCA website, the NSCA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year program recognizes collegiate and high school athletes whose athletic accomplishments, in the opinion of the strength coach - track and field strength coach Cam Davidson - reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning. These athletes are also recognized for their academic and personal accomplishments as well as their integrity as student athletes. This year, the NSCA awarded 225 collegiate and high school athletes across 90 schools with this well-regarded award.
The junior has showed outstanding improvement over this Penn State career, as he now ranks sixth in the all-time Nittany Lion rankings in the discus at 179-0 (59.40), and also stands sixth in the hammer with a personal-best toss of 194-10 (59.40) from earlier this spring.
The Urbana, Ohio, native has fared well during the outdoor season thus far, turning in a victory in the discus at the Bucknell Team Challenge, as well as a second-place finish in the hammer at the same competition. Barr also enjoyed top-five efforts in the discus at the LSU Battle on the Bayou and the Jim Click Shootout, to go along with a top five showing in the hammer at Jim Click.
Barr came on strong last spring, qualifying for the NCAA First Round in the discus. Currently, Barr is in position to qualify for NCAA Preliminary Round in both the discus and hammer.
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