Penny Neer
Encyclopedia
Penny Lou Neer is a former American collegiate and Olympic athlete in discus throwing
, basketball
and softball
.
A native of Hillsdale, Michigan
, Neer came to the University of Michigan
on a basketball scholarship and became a three-sport star. She earned a total of eight varsity letter
s at U-M in basketball, track and field
, and softball. In three seasons on Michigan's varsity basketball team, Neer scored 456 points and recorded 64 blocks
. During her junior year, she became U-M's first woman All-American in track and field, and as a senior, Neer became the first female athlete from the University of Michigan to win a national title in a track and field event -- winning in the discus at the 1982 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
(AIAW) outdoor championship. Neer was a two-time AIAW All-America
n and a three-time Big Ten Conference
discus champion, winning Big Ten championships in 1980, 1981 and 1982. She was ranked second in the United States in the discus throw in 1985 and again in 1991 and was ranked in the top ten for eleven straight years from 1982 to 1992. Neer also holds the Michigan discus record and was named to the Big Ten All-Decade team.
Neer did not make the 1984 or 1988 Olympic teams, but continued to compete in the discus and made the 1992 Olympic team at age 33. She was the first U-M woman to qualify for the Olympics in a field event. Though she did not place at the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
with a disappointing throw of 181.89 feet (55.44 meters), she was only the fourth American woman to throw the discus more than 200 feet. She broke the 200-foot mark at the 1985 Pacific Coast Championships with a throw of 201 feet, four inches (61.37 meters).
Neer later became an MRP Analyst/Scheduler for Venture Industries. She was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 2002.
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
.
A native of Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
, Neer came to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
on a basketball scholarship and became a three-sport star. She earned a total of eight varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s at U-M in basketball, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and softball. In three seasons on Michigan's varsity basketball team, Neer scored 456 points and recorded 64 blocks
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
. During her junior year, she became U-M's first woman All-American in track and field, and as a senior, Neer became the first female athlete from the University of Michigan to win a national title in a track and field event -- winning in the discus at the 1982 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
(AIAW) outdoor championship. Neer was a two-time AIAW All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and a three-time Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
discus champion, winning Big Ten championships in 1980, 1981 and 1982. She was ranked second in the United States in the discus throw in 1985 and again in 1991 and was ranked in the top ten for eleven straight years from 1982 to 1992. Neer also holds the Michigan discus record and was named to the Big Ten All-Decade team.
Neer did not make the 1984 or 1988 Olympic teams, but continued to compete in the discus and made the 1992 Olympic team at age 33. She was the first U-M woman to qualify for the Olympics in a field event. Though she did not place at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
with a disappointing throw of 181.89 feet (55.44 meters), she was only the fourth American woman to throw the discus more than 200 feet. She broke the 200-foot mark at the 1985 Pacific Coast Championships with a throw of 201 feet, four inches (61.37 meters).
Neer later became an MRP Analyst/Scheduler for Venture Industries. She was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 2002.
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
- Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Women's discus throwAthletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Women's discus throwThese are the official results of the women's discus throw event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.-Medalists:-Records:These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics....