Garrett Appier finishes sixth in U.S. Olympic trials shot put

Garrett Appier, the Pittsburg State product whose stock in the shot put soared this year, finished sixth at the U.S. Track and Field Trials on Friday in Eugene, Ore.

The top three, led by former Texas Longhorn standout Ryan Crouser, qualified for the Olympics.

Appier advanced to the finals by finishing 10th in qualifying earlier in the day. The top 12 of 24 moved on from qualifying.

Appier opened his finals appearance with a toss of 66 feet, one-quarter inch. He stood in seventh place until his fifth throw went 67 feet, 1  1/2 inches.

Crouser’s second throw of 72-6  1/2 was the winner.

Appier concluded his career at Pittsburg State in the spring by winning his second straight NCAA Division II outdoor championship and third overall. The former state champion from Paola High School entered the Olympic trials as the ninth-ranked American.

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 9:32 PM with the headline "Garrett Appier finishes sixth in U.S. Olympic trials shot put."