Oswald led the field of 19 athletes heading into the final three throws, and came up with her best effort of 190 feet, 2 inches on her final attempt. But Missouri Southern's Jessica Selby-Tallman, who had fouled on three of her first five throws, was also clutch in her final throw, achieving a distance of 191-10.
"Audrey threw far and took care of her business, but you can't control what others are going to do," HSU head coach Sandy Moran said. "I am very proud of her."
A senior, Oswald completes her senior season at HSU with three All-American honors. Coming into the national meet she ranked second behind Selby-Tallman based on qualifying marks posted during the spring.
Humboldt State's other national qualifier in the hammer, Beth Kreiger, placed 13th overall with a mark of 159-6. Impacting all performances on the day was the weather, with windy, cold and occasionally rainy conditions.
On Saturday, four more Lumberjacks will seek All-American honors. Jasper Peach and Jesus Solis line up in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase finals, Nick Bawden competes in the men's javelin, and Jodi Symonds in the women's javelin.