After her performance at this year’s Indoor National Championship, no list of the top collegiate women shot putters can leave off Stanford junior Jillian Camarena.

At the championships, Camarena entered the final round of the shot put in fourth.

After fouling on her first attempt in the finals, Camarena threw for 55 feet, 2.75 inches to move her into third.

Her final throw of 57-2.50 exceeded her previous indoor best by 20 inches and broke the great Pam Dukes’ long standing indoor school record by seven inches.

The heave vaulted her comfortably into second, scoring valuable points in the Cardinal’s sixth place finish at nationals. She finished behind North Carolina’s star sophomore Laura Gerraughty, who threw for 59-3.

“I really don’t know where that throw came from,” Camarena said. “Robert kept telling me that a big throw was coming, I just didn’t know when it would happen.

“I was just so relaxed on that final throw.”

Camarena began throwing in seventh grade by the encouragement of her brother and parents.

“I really didn’t like it at first,” Camarena said. “I was really into softball, but by my junior year of high school, I just started to enjoy it.”

Hailing from Woodland, Calif., Camarena had always wanted to attend Stanford for its beautiful weather and close proximity to her home. But being coached by an Olympic thrower in Robert Weir was a bonus.

“I knew Robert would be good for me,” Camarena said. “You learn from the experience your coach brings to your training, and Robert has had so many experiences at the international level.”

As a freshman, Camarena finished ninth at the NCAA Championships and took the gold medal at the Junior Pan American Championships.

Last year, then-sophomore Camarena won the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and finished third at NCAAs.

After her second-place finish at Indoor Nationals this season, Camarena is looking towards even bigger things.

“I definitely feel I have a shot at the outdoor title,” Camarena said. “I know it’s possible to be top-three.

“The competition is getting stronger in the throws. It’s reaching a whole new level. I think we will see some amazing throws at Sacramento State [the host of this year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships].”

Vin Lananna, director of track and field, added “Jill has the talent and drive to be a strong competitor on the national level. She has the potential to compete at the international level and at the Olympics in the future.”

As far as distance, Camarena has a lofty but attainable goal of 60 feet during the outdoor season, a major barrier in collegiate shot put and almost three feet longer than the current school record.

“Some people will say it isn’t possible,” Camarena said. “But I can see myself doing it, and I would like to do it before next year.”

Camarena, a 2002 All Pac-10 Academic selection, is a history major, but admits she really has no idea what she wants to do after graduation.

“I would love to compete after college, but it’s hard doing the training and finding a good coach. I am definitely thinking about the Olympics, hopefully in 2004 in Athens. It’s going to be interesting.”

This weekend, however, Camarena leads a strong group of women’s field athletes to the California-Nevada State Championships hosted by San Diego State.

Camarena will compete in the shot put and will join Stanford juniors Kitty Currier and Molly Meyer in the discus. The Cardinal’s pole vault trio of senior Kathleen Donoghue, junior Leila Ben-Youssef, and freshman Samantha Shepard will also be competing.

“Discus is really difficult for me,” Camarena admitted. “I do it more to get team points at Pac-10s and Regionals.”

A group of 40 track and field athletes will also attend the Brutus Hamilton Invitational across the bay at California on Saturday.

“We look absolutely great right now,” Lananna said. “I am especially pleased with the progress in the throwing events. I am also very confident in the ability of the middle-distance runners to step up when they have to.”

Cardinal freshman Alicia Craig, a three time All-American, will be making her outdoor debut at 1,500 meters and is joined by a strong group of women’s and men’s middle-distance runners at Cal.

A group of Stanford’s multi-event athletes will also be competing in several field and track events in preparation for the Azusa Pacific Invitational and Mt. San Antonio College Relays next weekend.

“We are being judicious with who we race because of the longer season,” Lananna said. “The emphasis is really getting everyone ready for the postseason championships.”