Capping off an exciting first day of competition at the UW Invitational, the University of Oregon's Brianne Theisen (
left/photo courtesy goducks.com) set a collegiate best in 4507 points, eclipsing Arizona State's Jacqueline Johnson's mark of 4496 points set at the 2008 NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Theisen got things rolling by winning the 60 hurdles in 8.45 for 1028 points, and tying for first in the high jump with a mark of 6-0 (1.83m), worth 1016 points.
In the shot put, she scored her lowest total, picking up 707 points with a throw of 41-8 (12.70), then came strong in the long jump, with a leap of 19-9 (6.02m) for 856 points to put her at 3607 with the 800 meter run remaining.
Needing to run at least 2:15.23 to get the record, she shot out of the gate, taking command of the race from the start.
The Oregon senior from Canada crossed the 400 meter mark in 63 seconds, then went through the 600 in approximately 1:37.
Asked afterward about her fast start, she said that she looks at the 800 as a 500, followed by a 300 that she knows will hurt.
"If I could hang on the last 200, I thought to myself I'd have a shot at it,", Theisen said afterwards, knowing that she had an 800 meter personal best of 2:15:58.
"I thought that it would be cool to score about what I did at last year's NCAA championships. I didn't think that I'd score as high as I did tonight".
Because of the Dempsey's 307 meter oval length, Theisen will not get credit for a collegiate record, as marks must be set on tracks of 200 meters or less.
Nonetheless, her score is a current world leader, eclipsing the current world best this year of 4446 points set by Russia's Anna Bogdanova three weeks earlier.
Here is a video interview with Theisen, courtesy of media partner Flotrack.
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