April 25, 2007
DES MOINES -
Illinois State track and field team member Frannie Epps ended the first day of heptathlon competition in 10th place at the 98th Annual Drake Relays Wednesday. Epps finished the day with 2,732 points, a new personal-best day-one score, at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Epps, who is the only Redbird competing in the opening day of events, also recorded a new personal-best in the first event, the 100-meter hurdles. Epps finished the race in a time of 14.71. Epps also threw a distance of 33-08.75 feet in the shot put, while clearing a height of 4-08.75 feet in the high jump. Epps also competed in the 200-meters, finishing the race in 26.56, missing a new personal-best by only six-one hundredths of a second.
Assistant coach Tim Thompson, who made the trip, was proud of the way Epps was able to battle the conditions on Wednesday which included rain showers and temperatures in the 40s.
"I couldn't be any happier with the way Frannie performed today," said Thompson. "I know that she felt like she left some points out there today, but it's pretty tight heading into the final three events tomorrow. You never know what can happen and our goal is to move up in the standings, hopefully finishing in the top-six."
The final day of the heptathlon begins at noon Thursday with the long jump. Competitors will also be throwing the javelin as well as running in the 800-meters. Members of the Redbird track and field team will also be competing in the distance events.
