Briana Paxton

Briana Paxton

Player Profile

Class:
Senior

Hometown:
Albuquerque, N.M.

High School:
La Cueva HS

Height:
6-0

Event:
Throws

Experience:
3L

NEW MEXICO:

The Lobos' top all-around thrower who has improved dramatically during her career...best event is the shot put where she has scored three times at the MWC Championship meets...expected to redshirt indoors and outdoors in 2009...3-time Academic All-MWC honoree...second generation Lobo athlete as dad, Matt, played football in the late 1970s and mom, Laurie (formerly Laurie Gilliland), was a standout hurdler for the UNM track team from 1975-78...Laurie was a three-time AIAW national qualifier in the 400m hurdles and won the event at the `77 WAC Championships...she is also a former school and conference record holder in the 100m hurdles...

2008: (outdoor) Scored at the MWC meet for the second straight year, placing 8th in the shot (44-07.00)...season-best mark of 44-08.75 (team's No. 2) in a 3rd place finish at TCU...Lobos' top discus thrower with a season-best mark of 141-08 at UTEP...8 top-5 finishes in her 14 competitions...Academic All-MWC... (indoor) Capped a fine season with a 4th place finish - the highest by a Lobo in 3 years - in the shot put at the MWC Championships...career-best mark of 46-03.75 was 15 inches beyond her previous best...also had a career-best mark of 48-10.00 (18th) in the weight throw at the MWC meet...4 top-5 finishes in 10 competitions...Academic All-MWC...

2007: (outdoor) Led the team and ranked 8th in the MWC in both the shot put (44-11.50) and discus (145-02), recording career-bests in bot events...scored for the first time at the MWC Championships, placing 8th in the shot put (43-06.50)...14 competitions in 7 meets...5 top-5 finishes...Academic All-MWC...(indoor) UNM's top competitor in the shot put (41-10.75) and weight throw (46-04.00)...recodred career-bests and was ranked 14th in the MWC in both events...finished 13th in the weight throw at 17th in the shot put at the MWC Championships...12 competitions in 6 meets...5 top-5 finishes...

2006: (outdoor) Led the team (11th MWC) in the shot put with a top mark of 42-10.75 at UTEP...10th in the event at the MWC Championships (41-01.75)...also had top marks of 135-00 in the discus (UC-San Diego) and 128-10 in the hammer (MWC Championships)...4 top-8 finishes in 17 competitions (6 meets)...Academic All-MWC and MWC Scholar-Athlete Award winner...(indoor) Owned the team's top mark (13th MWC) in the shot put with a toss of 40-09.50 at the New Mexico Invite...ranked 4th on the team in the weight throw (40-04.25)...competed 11 times in 6 meets...

HIGH SCHOOL:

A 2005 graduate of Albuquerque La Cueva High School...5A state champion in the shot put and discus as a senior...swept the shot and discus district titles all 4 years...school record holder in both events...PRs of 42-11.75 in the shot and 134-00.50 in the discus...helped head coach Jim Ciccarello's Bears win a pair of state titles and 4 district crowns...first team all-district pick in basketball as a junior and senior...NHS member, academic letterwinner and Who's Who Among American High School Students...

PERSONAL:

Born in Bakersfield, Calif...full name is Briana Ashley Paxton...daughter of Matt and Laurie Paxton...grandfather, Charles Gilliland, was a decathlete and discus thrower at Oklahoma in the early `50s...Briana is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and also a foreign coin collector...majoring in Art Studio.

COLLEGIATE BESTS - OUTDOOR
Shot Put: 44-11.50 Discus: 145-02

COLLEGIATE BESTS - INDOOR
Shot Put: 46-03.25 Weight Throw: 48-10.00