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207 Editor's Note: Britt placed seventh in the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Championships in the shot put with a throw of 52-feet, 1 ¼-inches (15.88 meters). On May 25, she placed seventh at the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, California and advanced to the NCAA Championships with a career-best effort of 55-7 ¾ (16.96 meters). She was 17th at the NCAA Championships on June 6 in Austin, Texas with a throw of 53-feet. T he disappointment of not making the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships in the shot put could be the best thing to happen to University of Iowa junior Nia Britt. "at motivated me," Britt said of her throw of 54-feet, 11 ½-inches Feb. 23 at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Britt placed fourth in that competition, and the mark moved her to 20th on the NCAA performance chart. Only the top 16 advanced to nationals. "I know there is more in the tank for me," she added. Her throw ranks second in school history behind the 58-4 ½ toss by junior Laulauga Tausaga. "I came in (to the Big Ten Championships) ranked ninth or 11th and that's not scoring," Britt said. "I finished fourth (and scored five points). at was a big highlight for me." e personal best comes on the heels of another milestone. Britt also placed fourth at the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Championships on May 12 in Bloomington, Indiana, with a throw of 54-2 ½. "My freshman and sophomore years were terrible in my opinion," Britt said. "My mindset and how I was performing wasn't what the coaches and everyone else expected of me. I was having a hard time because I was never progressing. I was always in one spot, and that messed with me because I knew I could do better." Britt's fortunes improved once she became a spinner in the ring instead of a glider. She originally balked at the move because it relied on a technique she had yet to perfect. As Britt's technique improves, so do her distances. She opened her outdoor shot put season by throwing 51-5 ¾ at the Pepsi Florida Relays on March 30 in Gainesville, Florida. All these efforts have occurred while Britt heals from an injured index finger on her throwing hand. While that happens, Britt is busy working on a secondary event, the hammer throw. "We are slow-playing the shot put with her," Iowa throws coach Eric Werskey said. "She started off well at Florida, now her secondary event is starting to take off for her, too. She sees she can be a two- event person within the Big Ten meet and be a national qualifier for the shot put as well." Britt is a member of a successful, cohesive, and sometimes overly fun throws group that includes junior Erika Hammond, freshman Amanda Howe, sophomore Marissa Mueller, sophomore Konstadina Spanoudakis, Tausaga, and junior Allison Wahrman. "We have a lot of fun," Werskey said. "Sometimes I have to tell them to chill a little bit, but they all get along, we work hard, and we get positive results at the end of the day, so it is a fun environment." Britt is from Sherman Oaks, California, and she is one of the few people who celebrated a snow storm on her official visit. e adverse weather forced her to stay another day in Iowa City. "I was having so much fun, and I was so happy I stayed an extra day," Britt said.