A WIDE-OPEN FIELD provided a tense battle from the start.
Unheralded Jenelle Rogers of Ball State — qualifier 21 in the 24-woman field — held the first-day lead and finished with a PR by an eye-opening 351 points. At the comp’s end she joined the 6000-point club at 6018 and finished 5th.
But Oklahoma’s Pippi Lotta Enok PRed by even more — 383 points — as the 20-year-old Estonian also joined the landmark group at 6165 and became the meet’s fourth frosh to win.
100 Hurdles: Favorite Allie Jones of USC — 4th last year while at Stanford — raced to the lead with at 13.07w, but that was down from her Pac-12 effort of 12.81, an all-time collegiate best in the event. Setting all-condition PRs were Vanderbilt’s Beatričė Juškevičiūtė (13.34w), Rogers (13.55w), Arkansas State’s Camryn Newton-Smith (13.71) and Texas A&M’s Joniar Thomas (13.73). Enok didn’t PR but was 60 points up on her PR score (13.76w, an eyelash away from her best-ever 13.75w).
High Jump: Bad news came in the warmups for Washington’s Ida Eikeng, last year’s runner-up. She injured her ankle and withdrew. Leading the way were Enok and Colorado’s Avery McMullen at 5-8¾ (1.70). Both equaled their outdoor bests. McMullen (1962) held the lead by 6 points over Jones, who cleared 5-6½ (1.69).
Shot: Revelation Rogers PRed by more than 3ft with a final-round 51-¼ (15.55) to lead all throwers; she also took the 3-event lead at 2820, 135 points up on the field. Juškevičiūtė was originally announced as the leader at 52-2¾ (15.92), but that mark was later corrected to 39-5 (12.01). No matter as her 44-8¾ (13.63) best kept her just 4 points shy of her 6079 PR.
Enok PRed at 40-1¼ (12.22), putting her 199 points up on her 5782 PR score. Indoor pentathlon champ Jadin O’Brien of Notre Dame also PRed at 46-11¾ (14.32), projecting near 6K at 5995.
200: Rogers took home the Day 1 lead with 3840 points after a huge PR 23.59 — her previous best was 24.38w — and improved her lead to 165 points. McMullen (24.18), Enok (24.20) and O’Brien (24.32) also PRed. Juškevičiūtė (3675), Jones (3665), O’Brien (3600) and Enok (3567) completed Day 1’s top-5 leader board.
Long Jump: Wildly fluctuating winds ranging from 1.1 to 6.0mps didn’t have as much impact as one might have anticipated. Thomas led the way with an all-conditions PR of 21-4¼w (6.51) with Rogers following at 20-9w (6.32), also her farthest ever. Hometown favorite Kristīne Blaževiča of Texas — who no-marked in this event last year — was safe at 20-½w (6.11). Enok (20-8w/6.30) led the projections at 6116, with Jones, Juškevičiūtė, Blaževiča and Rogers also looking at possible 6K scores.
Javelin: Enok led the way at 153-0 (46.65), her second-longest ever, to take the lead with 5305 points. Juškevičiūtė (140-3/42.74) was next at 5278, 27 points back. Rogers (just 89-7/27.30) was now 3rd at 5215. Hitting PRs were Thomas (144-4/43.99), Blaževiča (141-4/43.08) and O’Brien (134-2/40.90), helping to set up a wild finish.
800: Enok’s 27-point lead over Juškevičiūtė entering this event was worth about 2 seconds in the 800, and her PR was a second slower (2:17.35i to 2:16.59). They went after it on PR pace, clocking 68.67 and 68.49 for the first lap. Enok sealed it with a 2:17.36 outdoor PR to finish at 6165, 48 points up on Juškevičiūtė (2:18.89 for 6117 points).
WOMEN’S HEPTATHLON RESULTS
(June 9–10)
1. ***Pippi Lotta Enok’ (Ok-Est) 6165 PR
(13.76w, 5-8¾/1.75, 40-1¼/12.22, 24.20 [3567], 20-8/6.30w, 153-0/46.65, 2:17.36 [2598]);
2. Beatričė Juškevičiūtė’ (Vand-Lit) 6117 PR
(13.34w, 5-6½/1.69, 44-8¾/13.63, 23.90w [3675], 20-½/6.11, 140-3/42.74, 2:18.89 [2442]);
3. *Kristīne Blaževiča’ (Tx-Lat) 6058
(13.47, 5-7¾/1.72, 42-1¼/12.83, 24.76 [3559], 19-11¾/6.09, 141-4/43.08, 2:14.75 [2499]);
4. Allie Jones (USC) 6052
(13.07w, 5-6½/1.69, 40-9½/12.43, 23.60w [3665], 19-9½/6.03w, 124-1/37.83, 2:14.33 [2387]);
5. *Jenelle Rogers (Ball) 6018 PR
(13.55w, 5-7¾/1.72, 51-¼/15.55, 23.59 [3840], 20-9/6.32w, 89-7/27.30, 2:21.55 [2178]);
6. **Joniar Thomas’ (TxAM-Grn) 5967 NR
(13.73, 5-3/1.60, 40-6¼/12.35, 23.74w [3443], 21-4¼/6.51w, 144-4/43.99, 2:23.98 [2524]);
7. **Jadin O’Brien (NDm) 5940
(13.90w, 5-6½/1.69, 46-11¾/14.32, 24.32 [3600], 19-¾/5.81w, 134-2/40.90, 2:17.13 [2340]);
8. *Camryn Newton-Smith’ (ArSt-Aus) 5887 PR
(13.71, 5-7¾/1.72, 41-3/12.57, 25.72 [3420], 20-8½/6.31w, 148-4/45.23, 2:25.28 [2467]);
9. *Urtė Bačianskaitė’ (KsSt-Lit) 5790 PR; 10. *Avery McMullen (Co) 5752; 11. **Jenna Fee Feyerabend’ (SDi-Ger) 5742; 12. **Alaina Brady (NDm) 5739 PR; 13. *Bailey Golden (OkSt) 5656; 14. **Angel Richmore (SFA) 5636; 15. Kristen O’Handley’ (Tul-Ire) 5598; 16. Timara Chapman (NCSt) 5576; 17. *Taylor Chocek (Or) 5540; 18. **Izzy Goudros’ (Harv-Can) 5460; 19. *Elise Ulseth’ (ND-Nor) 5274; 20. *Tionna Tobias (Ia) 5269; 21. *Alix Still’ (Va-GB) 4488;… dnf—Sterling Lester (Fl), *Ida Eikeng’ (Wa-Nor), *Jada Sims (Vand).
(best-ever mark-for-NCAA-place: 4–8)