PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—It was a new day and a new record for graduate student Maria Deaviz (Souderton, Pa.) who threw 16.76 meters in the shot put at the Penn Invitational on Friday afternoon. It is the third time this month that Deaviz has extended her own school record. Her latest mark moves her up to No. 13 on this year's NCAA Division I performance list.
 
Deaviz has competed four times this season and has set or tied the Villanova record in each one. She was ready to go from the start on Friday at The Ott Center, with her throw of 16.76 meters coming on her first attempt of the day. She later matched the exact mark on her sixth and final attempt. She tallied her third first-place finish of the season and continues to lead the BIG EAST this season by a margin of more than two meters.
 
There was significance to Deaviz' performance on Friday beyond her latest school record. The mark of 16.76 meters is also a new indoor PR for Deaviz, who previously had thrown 16.75 meters in February 2022 at the ACC Indoor Championships. She was that year's ACC champion in the shot put both indoors and outdoors while competing for Virginia, and she went on to be a first team All-American outdoors with a fourth place finish at that year's NCAA Championships.
 
Deaviz can set her sights on trying to qualify for this year's indoor NCAA Championships which take place on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark. The top 16 declared athletes in each individual event will be selected to compete at the national meet. Deaviz is inside the top 16 for the first time this season and will have multiple opportunities to strengthen her mark as the indoor season continues next month.