Washington's Jeremy Taiwo sets world heptathlon high jump record en route to 3570 first-day score...


NAMPA, Idaho--While his teammates were back home in the familiar confines of the Dempsey Indoor, the University of Washington's Jeremy Taiwo (left/photo courtesy University of Washington) traveled to compete in the heptathlon at the Boise State Team Challenge meet at Jacksons Indoor Track, after missing a chance to compete in the UW Invitational heptathlon two weeks ago with a slight injury suffered in training.

En route to a first day score of 3570 points, Taiwo set a world heptathlon high jump record, as he soared 7-4 1/2 (2.25m) in the day's final event, a mark worth 1041 points, eclipsing the previous world heptathlon high jump best of 7-4 1/4 (2.24m) set by Arizona's Nick Ross in Fayetteville, Arkansas last year, and shared with Kansas State's Scott Sellers.

Taiwo, the 2011 Pac-10 decathlon champ who missed the 2012 season with injuries, won all four individual events Friday, with marks of 7.02-seconds in the 60-meters, 24-4.25 (7.42m) in the long jump and 46-6.25 (14.18m) in the shot put in addition to his high jump win to end day one with a score of 3570 points.

"I woke up this morning and felt completely normal," said Taiwo. "Got to the track and I started feeling great in warm-ups. The 60 felt great, I had kind of a bad start but tried to finish well. Then it was awesome to get my first long jump in there and finally get over 24-feet. Rolled around to the shot put, I was nice and relaxed, and had a great warm-up throw around 15-meters. I ended up a little bit shy of that in but I know there's a lot more in there."

Taiwo's high jump mark is also the second best all time as a Husky behind only Rick Noji's 7-6 1/2 (2.30m) set in 1990.

That mark also puts Taiwo eighth on the season's NCAA performance list in the event entering this weekend.


Meanwhile in Seattle, Oregon's Jordan Hasay led eight women under sixteen minutes in a fast 5000 meters to highlight day one of the Husky Classic, winning in 15:46.30, with Western Washington alum Sarah Crouch sixth in 15:56.50, and the Huskies' Megan Goethals seventh in 15:59.20.

Other day one winners included Olympian Keshia Baker in the women's 200 (24.10); Washington State's Byron Howell in the 200 (21.78); Oklahoma's Kevin Williams in the men's 5000 (13:38.57); Spokane native Britney Henry in the women's weight throw (68-6/20.88m); and Idaho's Kyle Rothwell in the men's weight throw (62-10/19.15m).

The Husky Classic resumes Saturday.  Results of the meet are available here.

NOTE:  The University of Washington and Boise State University contributed to this report.

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