Hoffa fifth in shot put Worlds

Former Lakeside High and Georgia All-American Reese Hoffa finished fifth in the shot put during the finals of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday.

Hoffa, a two-time Olympian who won the 2007 World Championships, reached adistance of 68 feet, 10.50 inches on his second attempt to be the second American finisher and fifth overall.  Germany's David Storl hit a personal-best mark of 71-5.50 on his sixth and final throw to top Canada's Dylan Armstrong (71) for the title.

Fellow Team USA member Christian Cantwell finished fouth while Americans Ryan Whiting and Adam Nelson finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

Hoffa is working to qualify to be on the United States team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

In the women's hammer, former Bulldog Jenny Dahlgren finished third in the qualifying round to advance to the finals after taking second in her group with a season-best mark of 238-6.  The Argentinian set a collegiate record after launching the hammer 239-4 at the 2007 Spec Towns Invitational in Athens. 

Dahlgren won two NCAA hammer titles and one in the weight throw while a Lady Bulldog.  She will compete in the hammer finals on Sunday morning.

Bahamas native Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie finished sixth in the 200-meter dash finals on Friday.  She won four national individual championships at Georgia between 1996-99.