Track: Stechschulte Places 16th at Nationals
March 11, 2006 09:02 PM | General
March 11, 2006
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| Abbie Stechschulte |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Multi-event athlete Abbie Stechschulte placed 16th with 3,874 points in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
“I know I will be back here next year and I am really glad I was here this year to experience this,” Stechschulte said. “This atmosphere is totally different than any other meet that I have been to. Next year, I hope this experience will make me better.”
The junior from Columbus Grove, Ohio, started the meet off with 959 points by running the 60-meter hurdles in 8.77 seconds. Stechschulte picked up 747 points by high-jumping 1.61 meters and 675 more points with a throw of 12.21 meters in the shotput. That throw was the third-best on the day.
In the final two events, Stechschulte long jumped 5.54 meters for 712 points before ending the day on a great note in the 800-meter run. She ran a personal-best 2:23.19 to score 781 points.
“She has learned a lot and this is big progress for her,” head coach Jeff Huntoon said. “She improved by over 250 points just this year alone, so her future is bright.”
Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson won the pentathlon national title with 4,287 points. She was followed by Washington State’s Julie Pickler (4,267), Virginia Tech’s Saskia Triesscheijn (4,224), Texas-San Antonio’s Ryanne Dupree (4,193), and Nebraska’s Ashley Selig (4,147) as the top five finishers.
Stechschulte had recorded the 12th-highest point total in the country in the pentathlon this year when she posted a career high 3,972 points at the BIG EAST championship. Her mark was the second highest point total in school history behind former national champion Pat Itanyi (4,111). Huntoon plans on redshirting Stechschulte for the 2006 outdoor season.
The WVU track team opens the outdoor season on March 17-18, at the UNC Charlotte Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
