Gustavus Adolphus College

Calm under pressure and meeting the biggest challenges head on, Lisa Brown put in the mental and physical work to become the most decorated javelin thrower in Gustavus history. Having never thrown a javelin before college, Brown burst onto the scene her freshman year by setting the conference record at the MIAC Championships, followed by personal records with every throw at the NCAA Championships, culminating in the 2006 Division III national title.
 
Characterized as a workout fanatic by her teammates and coaches, Brown wanted to be the best and loved preparing for every competition. Brown came up just short in defending her national title at the 2007 NCAA Championships, taking second place, but went on to win the NCAA championship her junior and senior year, becoming the program’s first three-time national champion.
 
Brown finished her collegiate career as a four-time All-American in the javelin and a four-time MIAC champion. The Lake Crystal, Minn. native also threw the shot put, earning All-Conference honors four times, including the 2009 indoor championship. She took 13th place at the US Olympic Trials in 2008, was named the Gustavus Female Athlete of the Year in 2008, and the Division III USTFCCCA Central Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year in 2009.
 
Brown still holds the school record in the javelin at 174-5, which is second on the NCAA Division III all-time list and the longest throw in Division III by an American.
 
After graduating in 2009 with a major in exercise science, Brown earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2013 where she was a graduate assistant coach for the track & field team. Brown worked for Gillette Pepsi Companies of Mankato from 2011-16 before moving to Wyoming to work winter and summer operations at Grand Targhee Resort from 2016-19. Since 2019, Lisa has been a dump truck and snow plow driver for Matkin Brothers Excavation in Victor, Idaho, where she currently resides.