SeattleU's Mandie Maddux wins second straight WAC heptathlon crown, but misses 5000 by one point...

EDINBURG, Texas—Seattle University senior Mandie Maddux (above/photo courtesy Seattle University) successfully defended her Western Athletic Conference heptathlon title Thursday on the campus of UT Rio Grande Valley.

Maddux, a native of Gresham, Oregon, who led at the break with a first day score of 2981 points, started day two by long jumping 16-7.75 (5.07m), ten centimeters short of her personal best of 16-11.5.

In the javelin, she threw a personal best of 136-10 (41.72m), and capped it off with a big personal best of 2:26.27 in the 800 meters for a final score of 4999, just 2/100ths of a second short of attaining a final score of 5000.

Before the 800, Seattle University assistant coach Chad Pharis had a conversation with Maddux about taking a shot at 5000 points.  He told her to sit behind Utah Valley’s Mindy Stapel, the best 800 runner in the field for the first lap and then go from there.

“In that third 200, Mandy took advantage of the tailwind on the backstretch and really showed her competitiveness by going after the 5000 point mark, knowing that she didn’t have to do it to defend her WAC title.”

“She left some points on the table in the long jump, as she was behind the board.”

Utah Valley’s Stapel (4875) and Tiera Orr (4716) finished second and third behind Maddux, who also won the WAC indoor pentathlon title this season.

Maddux is entered in three individual events at the WAC championships.  The main portion of the meet begins Friday (the men’s and women’s 10000 will be contested later Thursday).


NOTE: The Western Athletic Conference, and the sports information office at Seattle University contributed to this report.

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