CEDAR FALLS, Iowa. – On the second day of the Jack Jennett Open, hosted by Northern Iowa, James Brandenburg picked up right where he left off, winning the heptathlon with 5,195 points. In the win, Brandenburg re-set his own school record in the event, surpassing his previous mark of 5,185 points that he set in 2017.
"James had a solid couple of days, and he finished the multi-event competition strong," said Assistant Coach LaMar Garrett. "I am happy with his performance, although both he and I know some points were left on the table. He is off to a great start, and it is only up from here."
Brandenburg, who led the heptathlon standings through the first day of competition, never surrendered his lead on day two. He opened the day with a victory in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 8.32. He ended his day on a high note as well, finishing third in the 1,000-meter run (2:51.96) to clinch the win.
Derek Wegman finished his first heptathlon in fourth place (4,665 points), and now ranks fifth all-time in Illinois State history. His best performance of the day came in the pole vault, where he tied for second and cleared a personal-best height of 4.05m (13-03.50).
On the women's side, Tessa Holland was the top finisher for the Redbirds in the pentathlon, placing second with 3,472 points. She posted top-three finishes in a trio of events: the high jump, shot put, and 800-meter run. Her distance of 10.82m (35-06.00) in the shot put was not only good for third place, but also marks a personal-best.
Jordyn Bruce, who finished fifth in the pentathlon with 3,390 points, showed enormous improvement in multiple events. She posted victories in the 800-meter run (2:24.68) and shot put, where she recorded a new personal-best of 10.92m (35-10.00). This mark surpasses Bruce's previous personal-record by nearly two meters.
Bruce also finished second in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.75. She moves up to eighth on ISU's top-10 list in the event.
"Today was a good start for Jordyn," said Garrett. "I am very happy with where she is at in the 60-meter hurdles, and her shot put and high jump has come a long way. She had a very solid performance."
Ashlee Stieler rounded out the scoring for the Redbirds, finishing sixth in the pentathlon with 3,294 points. Her best performance occurred in the shot put, where she placed second with a distance of 10.83m (35-06.50).
The Redbird men's and women's track and field teams will be back in action tomorrow when they travel to Champaign, Illinois, to compete in the Illini Classic. Field events are slated to start at 10 a.m., with track events following at 12 p.m.
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