PITTSBURG, Kan. – Texas A&M University-Commerce junior
Jessica Clay established a new school record in the indoor pentathlon as the Lion track & field teams opened their season with the first day of the Boo Rogers Combined Events at Pittsburg State's Plaster Center on Friday.
Clay scored 3,242 points to finish in seventh place in the pentathlon.
Shanecia Baker also eclipsed the previous school record with 3,076 points for ninth place.
Clay scored 873 points in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.18 seconds and had the third-best shot put in the competition at 10.83 meters. She took down the old school record, which she set in 2015, by 196 points.
Baker also passed the prior top mark in program history by 30 points. She had the second-best mark in the shot put at 10.92 meters. Her top scoring event was the 800 meters at 734 points with a time of 2:26.74.
Kendra Mims scored 2,885 points for 14th place and Julia Siegerroth scored 2,746 points for 16th place.
"It was a great day, and fun to watch the athletes get out and compete after a long fall training block," said Lion head track & field coach George Pincock. "All of the women had a good day. Every single one of them PR'd in at least one event. Obviously any time you have a school record set and a second athlete finish ahead of the old record, you have reason to be happy."
The 14th-ranked men completed four events of the heptathlon on Friday, with
Florian Obst sitting in third place in the competition. His top event in the first day of events was the shot put, where his toss of 14.05 meters ranks as the second-longest in the nation in all divisions in the heptathlon shot put in the early portion of the season. That throw was good for 731 point and he also scored 799 points with a 7.24 second time in the 60-meter dash.
Robert Wood is in ninth place with 2,569 points. The competition wraps up Saturday morning with the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000-meter run.
"Florian and Robert also had a solid day one. For both of them, this meet marks their first indoor pentathlon ever. Like the women, they both had PR's. I am confident they will have a few more tomorrow. Despite the personal records, it's still evident that it is early in the season. Technically we have lots of room for improvement," Pincock said.
Following the completion of the Boo Rogers Combined Events in the morning, the Lions will compete in the Crimson & Gold Invitational. Field events are slated to begin at 1 p.m.
