Lois Ann Testa Lynch (born December 16, 1935[1][2]) is an American former athlete and teacher. She represented the United States in the shot put at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Lois Ann Testa Lynch | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lois Ann Testa December 16, 1935 Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States |
| Alma mater | Rhode Island College |
| Height | 5 ft 4.5 in (164 cm) |
Biography
editLois Ann Testa was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She attended Pawtucket East High School, where she competed in swimming, basketball, and badminton.[2][3][4] She attended Rhode Island College.
At the suggestion of Olympian Janet Moreau, Testa began training in track and field at Providence College,[4] and joined the Red Diamond Athletic Club. She won an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) title in the 1954 outdoor shot put, where she set an AAU record of 42 feet 7 inches.[5] She also won the 1955–1956 AAU title for indoor shot put.[2]
In the 1956 United States Olympic Trials, Testa finished second in the shot put, achieving her personal best distance of 45 feet 6 3/4 inches.[2] She also finished fourth in the discus throw, with a distance of 129 feet 3 inches.[6]
Competing in the shot put at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Testa qualified for the finals and finished 14th.[2][6]
Lois Testa graduated from Rhode Island College in 1957 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She worked as a teacher in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Florida.[4]
She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1968.[3] In 2000, she was inducted into the Rhode Island College Athletic Hall of Fame.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Lois Ann Testa". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Lois Testa". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ a b "Inductee Details". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Lois Testa Lynch". Rhode Island College Athletic Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ "Lois Testa Sets Mark; Hurls Shot 42 Feet 7 Inches for Junior A. A. U. Record". The New York Times. July 31, 1954. p. 7. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ a b Mead Tricard, Louise (January 1, 1996). "1956: The Melbourne Olympic Year". American Women's Track and Field: A History, 1895 Through 1980. Vol. 1. McFarland. pp. 362–364. ISBN 9780786402199. Retrieved August 17, 2017 – via Google Books.