April 13, 2006
Results
NORMAL, Ill. -
Brittney Hourd and Frannie Epps have the Illinois State track and field team moving in the right direction early in the weekend with top-places in the heptathlon at the Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational.
On the campus of Western Illinois, the pair were the first Redbirds to compete over the course of the busy travel weekend. Taking first-place in all four events contended this afternoon, Hourd holds the most points in the competition with 3,059. Hourd won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.64, jumped a season-best, 5-01.00, in the high jump, threw 36-11.50 in the shot put and turned in 25.08 in the 200-meters.
With head coach Elvis Forde traveling with a select group of athletes to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., assistant coach Tim Thompson took the reins at Western Illinois.
"Brittney did a really good job today," said Thompson. "Her point total is on track to qualify for the NCAA regional. I was pleased with her time in the 200-meters and her high jump mark, even though she hit a couple hurdles early on in the race, she still finished well."
Not able to record a mark in the high jump, Epps came back with two third-place finishes in the shot put (31-05.25) and 200-meters (26.90) to put her in third-place after the four events. In the 100-meter hurdles, Epps took second-place in 15.37.
"The high jump really hurt Frannie in terms of points," added Thompson. "However, I was glad to see how well she rebounded and came back in the last two events."
To complete the heptathlon, Hourd and Epps will compete in the long jump, javelin and 800-meter run tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m.
Laura Kennedy, Betsy McDonald, Lian Lucas, Devon Williams, Kyndra Curtin, Cherise Devers, Anna Lovelle and Andrea Mosher, as well as male competitors, Brian Krantz, Mark Jackson, Derek Sargent, Bronco Meeks, Geoff Houtman, Jeremy Doherty and Dan Tripp, will have a full day of competition tomorrow at the Sea Ray Relays. Events are scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m.
