2005: April was an instant boon to the throws corps as a junior, giving Tennessee a conference scoring threat in the shot put...Also established herself as one of the school's best in that event, moving to fourth on the indoor performers list and fifth on the outdoor performers chart at Rocky Top...Indoors, the best output came in support of UT's SEC Championship drive...Her career-best heave of 50-6 propelled her to fifth at the conference meet and chipped valuable points into UT's coffers...Threw the weight 56-5.75, but finished outside the points in 12th place at that meet...Established her second weight PR of the season at the Tennessee Indoor Classic, stretching the tape to 57-2 to rise to fourth on the Tennessee career chart...Posted three indoor shot victories, coming at the Tennessee All-Comers (47-2.25), Virginia Tech Invitational (49-11.25) and Tennessee Indoor Classic (51-3.50)...Outdoors, April earned All-SEC status with a third-place finish in the shot...Her career-best toss of 51-9.75 at that meet vaulted her to fifth on the UT all-time registry...Advanced to the NCAA Mideast Regional, where she was sixth at 51-1.50, and moved on to her first NCAA Championships appearance, missing out on the final after a put of 48-4.75 in the prelims...Threw the discus at SECs and managed a 13th-place effort of 142-9...Had a pair of career-best hurls in the hammer throw...Wound up 17th at the conference meet with a mark of 167-1 and also had a spin of 159-3 at the Knoxville Twilight...The longer mark ranks her fourth on UT's all-time performers list in that event.
AT CLOUD COUNTY:
2003-04: April was a two-year standout at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan....Won the 2003 National Junior College Athletic Association Indoor title in the shot put with a throw of 46-6.75 and was the runner-up at the NJCAA Outdoor meet with a heave of 46-11.75...Was second indoors as well as outdoors at the 2004 NJCAA contests, managing a throw of 49-5 beneath a roof and registering a toss of 47-9.25 under open skies...Her JUCO indoor best, however, was a throw of 49-10...Took fourth in the weight throw at the NJCAA Indoor meets in 2003 (54-11.25) and 2004 (55-2)...That 55-2 effort was a career best...Was fourth in the discus at nationals in 2003 (127-11) and third in a personal-record 146-2 in 2004...Hammer efforts at the NJCAA Outdoor meets included fifth in 2003 (145-11) and sixth in 2004 (158-1)...That latter mark was then a PR...Helped Cloud County place fourth and third, respectively, at the 2003 and 2004 NJCAA Indoor Championships...Team was fourth at both the 2003 and 2004 NJCAA Outdoor meets.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Captained the Westover High School track & field and basketball teams twice and was a member of the softball team for one season...Was an all-state track & field selection her final two seasons at WHS...Claimed Georgia state titles in the shot put in 2001 and 2002 and was fourth in 2000...Threw 43-5.25 as a senior, 46-7 as a junior and 40-1 as a sophomore at the GHSA AAA meet...Set the state record in that event with a throw of 46-9.50...Ended her prep career with the number-two all-time throw in Georgia women's prep history...Won a state discus crown in 2001, managing a fling of 138-6...Took second in the discus at state in 2001 (120-10) and was fourth in 2000 (120-0).
PERSONAL:
April is majoring in sociology...Would possibly like to work in sports medicine with a professional football team...Enjoys singing, playing golf and basketball, and going to church...Has one sister, Yolanda Thomas, 25...April M. Thomas was born on Feb. 4, 1984, in Albany, Ga....Her mother is Bertha Thomas.
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