Gia Lewis-Smallwood Wins Bronze at Pan Am Games
July 24, 2015 | Women's Track & Field
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Former Illini Women's Track and Field standout, Gia Lewis-Smallwood, took home a bronze medal on Friday at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. The Champaign, Illinois native and Champaign Centennial graduate heaved the discus 61.26 meters to beat out Fernanda Martins of Brazil for the podium finish.
Agency medal at #PanAmGames #Discus. Congrats! @giasmallwood @CoachMTurk @NikeRunning @NYACTrack_Field #nishisports pic.twitter.com/LwrKM2FZL1
— Karen Locke (@klocke1) July 24, 2015"Today was a great accomplishment for Gia," said Fighting Ilini coach Mike Turk. "Every opportunity for an athlete to represent their country is special. To get on the podium with a medal in a major competition is a tremendous accomplishment."
The USATF Women's Field Performer of the Year won her bronze medal today despite dealing with some adversity this year.
"I'm really proud of how she has battled just to get to this point. This season has been a real struggle because of a nagging injury, but Gia just keeps pushing ahead," said Turk.
Lewis-Smallwood's career started at Illinois where she won the 2001 Big Ten Championship in the discus and was named an All-American after a fifth-place finish at NCAA Championships. Since her time at Illinois, Lewis-Smallwood has made appearances in the 13th and 14th IAAF World Championships, the 2nd IAAF Continental Cup, and the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Next up for the former Illini is a trip to Beijing for the 2015 World Championships where she will try to build upon her Pan American Games success.
"We'll continue with our preparation with the mindset and goal of making the final, and getting on the podium. The event is very competitive this year, and Gia has a knack for being ready for the biggest meets and performing her best. She will definitely be in the mix," said Coach Turk.
