Laura Gerraughty

Career

Laura began throwing as a sophomore in high school in her hometown of Nashua, New Hampshire. She went on to represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the shot, discus, hammer, and weight throws under event coach Brian Blutreich and head coach Dennis Craddock. Gerraughty holds school records in each of these events.

She holds a combined 13 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships individual event titles in these events, as well as 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I All-America honors.

She then competed at the 2004 Olympic Games without reaching the final round. This is the farthest throw by any National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female shot putter, indoors or outdoors.

Following her collegiate career, Laura competed briefly for Nike, Incorporated., representing the company at the 2005 United States of America Track & Field Outdoor National Championships. Her career was later ended due to injury.

She went on to coach the throws for her alma mater for two seasons.

Laura Gerraughty, now Laura Ekstrand, lives with her family in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.

Achievements

• She finished fourth at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile and won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Her personal best throw is 19.15 metres, achieved in March 2004 at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. In that same year, Laura also won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the United States of America Track & Field Indoor National Championships, and the United States of America Track & Field Outdoor National Championships (the 2004 United States Olympic Trials).