Clearwater native earns NCAA national title

Brooklynn Chipps arrived at Wayne State College in the fall of 2018 as a track and field scholarship athlete, after excelling in the high school ranks for the Clearwater/Orchard Cyclones track and field team.

On Friday, the Clearwater native made her personal mark in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II record book when she earned the top spot in the women's weight throw at the 2023 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Her winning throw, a personal best of 67 feet, 11 inches, also set a WSC record.

"Good things come to those who wait," Chipps said.

A year ago, she qualified in the same event and placed 14th, throwing 56 feet, 8 3/4 inches.

During the outdoor season, Chipps placed third in hammer throw.

At Friday's competition, Chipps recorded a single mark and two fouls during preliminaries and sat in the sixth-place position.

On her first throw, she advanced to fifth place after a toss of 64 feet, 1/4 inch.

Then, Chipps broke the Wildcat record of 67 feet, 9 3/4 inches, set by Mckenzie Scheil.

A Fillmore Central grad, Scheil made her fifth appearance in the event at the championships. On Friday, she failed to record a throw.

Chipps said the weight throw involves "a lot of technique."

For those unfamiliar with the particulars of the event, Chipps describes the weight throw as "basically a 20-pound ball in a hammock-type bag with a handle attached to it."

Competitors complete a four-point turn and release.

Chipps credits her team mates for pushing her to be her best.

"A lot of our training comes from lifting heavy, also. We always get after it in the weight room," she said. "Every single drill and practice throw that I've ever taken led up to this accomplishment.

Sweet success.

"I think (winning) means all my hard work, dedication and time put into this sport was all worth it in the end," Chipps said.

In 2019, Chipps placed in two events - weight throw and shot put - in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Championships, in addition to medaling at other meets throughout the season.

She redshirted in the 2019 outdoor and 2020 indoor seasons.

After not competing in 2021, she returned to the ring last year and earned NSIC medals in weight throw and shot put.

During the 2022 outdoor season, Chipps earned All-American status after finishing third in hammer throw at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Allendale, Michigan, and earned conference all-academic team accolades.

"I work hard for everything I do and I don't expect anything to be handed to me," Chipps said.

Except when she's handed a national championship trophy.