March 16, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
After training during the entire indoor season, forgoing competition, Illinois State track and field student-athlete Lauren Maul currently holds the first-place spot in the heptathlon on the first day of competition at the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Only having outdoor eligibility this season, Maul proved to be one of the top performers in the heptathlon as she totaled 3,314 points in the first-four events of the day. Not only is Maul in first-place in the event, but she also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in the high jump with a first-place jump of 5-10.00. She also turned in a top-time in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.40 and threw 35-10.50 in the shot put for second-place, while winning the 200-meters in 25.44.
Maul holds a commanding lead over second-place competitor Ashley Reyer (3008) from Southern Mississippi.
Sitting in third-place in the heptathlon, Brittney Hourd accumulated 2,961 points on the day, while Frannie Epps is in sixth-place with 2,542 points. Hourd took third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.87), eighth in the high jump (4-10.25), won the shot put (40-01.00) and placed second in the 200-meters in 25.66.
Epps placed fifth in 100-meter hurdles in 15.36, was 12th in the high jump (4-07.75), took fifth in the shot put (33-06.50) and was 10th in 27.52 in the 200-meters.
Head track and field coach Elvis Forde was extremely pleased with the performances he witnessed today.
"Lauren, Brittney and Fannie did very well today," said Forde. "For the first meet of the outdoor season, we've turned in some very exceptional performances. If Lauren continues what she did today and performs well in the final three events tomorrow she should be on track to provisionally qualify for regionals in the heptathlon, as she already did in the high jump."
Completing four of seven events, the heptathlon will continue Friday morning at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Complex beginning at 9:00 a.m. The long jump, javelin and 800-meter run will round out the event.
