PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—A picture from this year's track & field media day – in which graduate student Maria Deaviz (Souderton, Pa.) is holding up four fingers on each hand – perfectly told the story of her latest accomplishment as she broke the school record in the shot put for the fourth time this season at the Philadelphia Metro on Friday afternoon. Deaviz threw 17.01 meters and moved back into the top 16 of this year's NCAA Division I descending order list.
 
There are plenty of notable nuggets about Deaviz' latest and greatest record, but the most significant is her place at No. 16 in the NCAA this season. That moves her back into position to qualify for the NCAA Championships which take place in Fayetteville, Ark., next month. There is still plenty of competition to come around the country this weekend and in conference championships next weekend before the regular season officially concludes, but for now Deaviz has reached what can be considered somewhat of a magic number by crossing the 17-meter threshold.
 
Just 41 days after Deaviz became the first Villanova thrower to surpass 16 meters in the shot put, she formed a new solo club as the first to go past 17 meters. Her mark at The Ott Center on Friday is a new indoor PR for Deaviz and the ninth time overall in her collegiate career that she has thrown further than 17 meters. She leads the BIG EAST by nearly two meters this season.
 
Deaviz arrived on campus this Fall and has recorded the six furthest shot put throws in the Wildcats record book in her first six outings wearing the Villanova singlet. A fast start has been something of a calling card for her this season, with her mark of 17.01 meters coming on her second of six attempts at Penn on Friday afternoon. Deaviz will next compete at the BIG EAST Championships in Chicago, Ill., next weekend.
 
Freshman thrower Jess Bentum (Deptford, N.J.) recorded the team's best mark of the season in weight throw with a PR of 14.91 meters. She moved up three spots on the BIG EAST performance list with her effort and posted a mark of 10.73 meters in the shot put. Classmates Jane Carey (Webster, N.Y.) and Kiera Christensen (Alexandria, Minn.) threw for distances of 13.88 meters and 13.26 meters, respectively, in the weight throw.
 
Next week's BIG EAST Championships take place at Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park on February 27-28.