Live Stats
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Hawai'i multi-event athlete
Annett Wichmann completed the first day of the heptathlon at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in eighth place after posting two personal bests Thursday at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field.
After the first four disciplines, Wichmann set a new Day 1 school record with 3,397 points, 10 points better than her total at the 2007 NCAA Championships and 95 points better than last year's NCAA Championships, which she went on to finish with a school record 5,670 points.
Southern California's Nia Ali leads the 27-athlete field with 3,663 points followed by Minnesota's Liz Roehrig (3,651) and Michigan's Bettie Wade (3,601).
Wichmann opened the meet with a seasonal best time of 14.62 seconds in the 100-hurdles. Considered her weakest event, the Jena, Germany native placed 23rd overall. However she rebounded in the high jump – one of her strongest events – by tying for third with a jump of 5-10 (1.78m), which also tied a personal best and vaulted her to 10th place.
In the shot put, another of her stronger events, Wichmann blew away the field, winning the event with a throw of 45-2 ¼ (13.77m), her second best throw of the season. With that throw, she moved up six spots to fourth place overall.
In the fourth and final discipline of Day 1, Wichmann completed the 200-meter dash in a seasonal-best 26.28 seconds, for 24th place.
The heptathlon concludes on Friday with the final three disciplines – long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run. Wichmann, whose strongest event is the javelin, finished sixth at last year's NCAA Championships.
Also in action on Friday are
Amber Kaufman and
Emily Sheppard, both of whom will be competing in the high jump finals. Kaufman, ranked second nationally heading into this meet, and Sheppard are looking to become the school's first national champion since Gwen Loud won the long jump in 1984.
Live video steaming of the NCAA Championships are available on ncaasports.com.
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