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SHORES, ALA. – (NewsDakota.com) Valley City State University freshman Seri Geisler won the school’s first national championship since 2013 on Thursday.

Geisler rose to the occasion with a career-best throw Thursday as she took home the national title in women’s javelin during the first day of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala.

With a career-best throw of 51.37 meters, Geisler bested the field of 22 throwers and beat second place by more than two meters. Geisler’s national championship throw came on her first attempt of the day as she took control of the event early.

“It certainly wasn’t given to her today,” said VCSU head coach Chris Johnson. “I think the top five finishers all threw personal records, and she had the defending national champion right on her heels.”

It is VCSU’s first national title ever in women’s track & field, and the school’s first national title in any program since Darien Moore won the indoor weight throw in 2013.

A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., Geisler entered the meet with the top throw in the nation (50.20 meters) by more than three meters. In her first season ever throwing javelin, she has set a new school record, has broken several meet records and now has a national title. She was named the NAIA National Field Athlete of the Week on April 27.

Valley City State had never had a national champion in women’s track and field until Thursday. Danielle Olson placed second in triple jump back in 1998 for the program’s previous best finish ever. The last Viking woman to earn All American honors was Amber Volanti, who placed eighth in javelin in 2011.

The VCSU women’s track program now has 19 All Americans in program history, and eight of those performances have come in women’s javelin: Melissa Hagel, Kelley Utt (2x), Wanda Schwab (3x), Volanti and now Geisler.