She was also the highest ranked American in shot put and discus at the 1950 AAU Championships, finishing behind Poland's Frances Kaszubski who was present as a foreign competitor.

At the inaugural event in 1951 in Buenos Aires, she took the gold medal with a throw of 38.08 m (124 ft 11 in).

She returned for the following two editions and reached the podium both times, taking bronze medals in 1955 and 1959.

[5][6] During her period, the baseball throw was still a common sight in track and field competitions and she set a world record for the event in 1957 with a mark of 76.92 m (252 ft 4+1⁄4 in).

[2] Born in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, she married John E. Wood and had four children (Suzanne, Barron (Keith), Brendan, Sean and Terence).