Commonwealth Games shot put champion Danniel Thomas-Dodd extended her national record to 19.48m and discus thrower Shadae Lawrence broke the discus record within hours at meets in the United States on Saturday.

Thomas-Dodd, who was already the second-ranked female shot putter in the world, closed the gap on world leader Chase Ealy of the United States after winning the women’s shot put invite at the Virginia Challenge, while Lawrence broke a two-year-old record that was held by Kellion Knibb in her second meet of the day at Mt SAC Relays in California.

Lawrence’s mark is also the best in the NCAA Division One.

Thomas-Dodd, who has owned the event in both indoors and outdoors for the last few years, broke the 19.36m mark she set while winning the Commonwealth Games title in Australia last year.

A former NCAA Division One champion while at Kent State, Thomas-Dodd smashed the facility and meet record at Lannigan Field, Charlottesville, Virginia on her way to the win.

Her new personal best came in the fifth round as she beat Canada’s Brittany Crew (18.08m) and Aliyah Gustafson of Bowling Green (17.26m).

Lawrence, also a former NCAA Division One champion, who transferred to Colorado State from Kansas State for her senior season, had a personal best of 62.59m from 2017, also on Saturday.

First she broke the Colorado State programme record as after breaking her school record 60.55m set in 1991 with a throw of 61.80m at the Beach Invitational at Long Beach State University where she placed second.

A short drive to Torrance, California, saw her competing at the 61st staging of the Mt SAC where she also placed second and added more than two metres to the school record she set hours earlier and a further 1.30m to her previous lifetime best.

— Paul Reid