Washington's Ida Eikeng takes runner-up spot in heptathlon as NCAA championships conclude...
EUGENE--Ida Eikeng (Paul Merca photo) of Washington moved up three spots from her fifth place finish in last year's meet to earn a second place finish in the heptathlon as the NCAA Track & Field Championships concluded Saturday at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
After going into the break in third place, Eikeng made a move, finishing sixth in the long jump with a best of 19-6.75 (5.96m), then won the javelin with a best of 152-1 (46.36m) to enter the 800 in second place at 5267 points, 311 points behind US national champion Anna Hall of Florida.
The native of Porsgrunn, Norway, who historically struggles with the 800 meters, needed every last ounce of energy into getting over the finish line of her 800-meter run and earning NCAA runner-up status for the effort.
Eikeng finished the 800 in 2:31.65, to give her 672 points and a final score of 5939 points to break her own school record of 5920 set at this meet last year.
Florida's Anna Hall, who won the USATF title last month in Fayetteville, added the NCAA crown with a final score of 6385 points, while Duke's Erin Marsh almost caught Eikeng with a 2:14.64 effort in the 800, but came up 10 points short, finishing the seven events with a final score of 5929 points.
Eikeng's second place finish, coupled with Haley Herberg's seventh place finish in the 10000, gave the Huskies a final team score of 10 points, and tied for 25th place.
Florida won the women's team title with 74 points, thus giving the Gators a sweep of both team crowns at this meet.
Other highlights:
--Lake Stevens native Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State finished third in the 5000 meters, running 15:24.41, as she steadily worked her way to the front.
--In the 3000 steeplechase, former Seattle Pacific All-American Kaylee Mitchell, who now competes for Oregon State University, stayed patient for the first half of the race and moved to finish sixth in a personal best 9:34.59.
Woodinville native Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame finished ninth, also in a personal best 9:35.80.
--University Place native Lexi Ellis of Oregon, the reigning Pac-12 triple jump, finished tenth with a best of 43-3.75 (13.20m).
--In the high jump, Washington State's Aislinn Overby finished 19th with a best of 5-9.75 (1.77m).
--Beatrice Asomaning of Washington was 20th in the discus, spinning the platter 155-2 (47.51m).
NOTE: The NCAA, USTFCCCA and the sports information offices of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Oregon contributed to this report.
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