Track: Stechschulte Finishes Day One of Heptathlon
June 07, 2007 07:04 PM | General
June 7, 2007
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| Abbie Stechschulte |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – West Virginia University senior multi-event athlete Abbie Stechschulte tied a personal best with 3,394 points through the first day of the heptathlon at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Stechschulte’s point total has her in eighth place in the 26-participant field after completing the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meter dash.
“She is in good position to make a run at one of the top eight spots to be awarded All-America,” head track coach Jeff Huntoon says. “She tied a personal best through the first day and we hope to see the same quality of performance in tomorrow’s three events.”
The Columbus Grove, Ohio, native started the day off winning her section of the 100-meter hurdles by crossing the finish line in 13.89 seconds. Her time would position her sixth in the field through the first event with 994 points.
In the day’s second event, the high jump, Stechschulte tied for third in her flight with a leap of 1.69 meters for 842 points. That jump would tie for 14th in the field.
Stechschulte then rebounded with a fifth-place finish in the shot put with her throw of 12.41 meters for 688 points. That result was her highest in one individual event on the day.
Stechschulte then concluded the day with a time of 25.18 seconds in the 200-meter dash for 870 points. That time was third in her section and 14th overall to bring her to equal her career best point total of 3,394 points.
SMU’s Gaelle Niare enters day two with the lead at 3,690 points. She is followed by Syracuse’s Jillian Drouin (3,571), Michigan’s Betty Wade (3,568), Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson (3,557) and UT-San Antonio’s Ryanne Dupree (3,537) in the top five.
Nebraska’s Ashley Selig (3,491) and Washington State’s Julie Pickler (3,466) are in sixth and seventh, respectively, ahead of Stechschulte.
Tomorrow the heptathlon will conclude with the long jump, javelin and 800-meter run.
