Wednesday, April 27, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa--University of Utah junior Brianna LeRoy leads a tightly-packed group atop the heptathlon
standings after one day of competition at the 102nd Drake Relays.
LeRoy's 3,116 points through
four events give her a slim seven-point lead over second-place Whitney Carlson, a senior from North
Dakota State (3,109). A pair of unattached entrants follow close behind, as
Maddy Outman sits third with 3,009 points and Anne Carlson is fourth at 2,962.
"I came in just hoping I could hit my PRs and really set a
personal goal for myself," said LeRoy. "I definitely hoped I would do better
than last year because I fell in the hurdles last year, so I really wanted to
make a comeback this year."
Indeed, LeRoy's time of 14.29 in the 100-meter hurdles, even
in a fourth-place finish, was a personal best. Last year she hit a hurdle and
fell at the Drake Relays, and finished 12th out of 13 athletes who
finished the 2010 heptathlon. He top score this season, 4,868, ranks 56th
in the NCAA.
Carlson, who finished ninth at
last year's Drake Relays, won both running events among the today's four
competitions, taking the 100-meter hurdles in 13.87 and the 200 meters in
24.69.
In between, LeRoy recorded the
best high jump, clearing 5-7¾, while Carlson won the shot put with a heave of
35-7¾.
Rounding out the field are
Indiana State freshman Kelly Steffen
(2,740), Gustavus Adolphus senior Janey
Helland (2,679), Northern Iowa junior Lauren
Lindaman (2,601), Indiana State freshman Rachael Johnson (2,338) and Montana sophomore Lindsey Hall (2,313).
The competition began at noon
(CT) under cool, gray skies with a temperature of 46 degrees and winds out of
the north-northwest at 9 mph. But conditions improved with temperatures in the
mid-50s and calm skies by the end of the heptathlon.
The heptathlon resumes at 10:30
a.m. Thursday at Drake Stadium, with the long jump, triple jump and 800 meters
on tap.
