Multi eventers start off four days of competition in SoCal at Mt. SAC Relays...
WALNUT, California--Four days of track and field competitions spread out among four venues in the greater Los Angeles area began in Walnut Wednesday with the multi event specialists taking center stage at the Mt. SAC Relays at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mount San Antonio College campus.
In the women's elite section of the heptathlon, Washington's Ida Eikeng (Paul Merca photo) stands fourth after day one, with a first day score of 3709 points, 70 points behind USC's Allie Jones, the reigning Pac-12 champ and NCAA scorer.
Eikeng started the day by running 13.45 in the 100 hurdles, then moved on to the high jump where she cleared 5-6 (1.68m).
On her third attempt in the shot put, Eikeng set a new lifetime-best, going 48-4 (14.73m), breaking the PR she last set at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She then closed with the second-fastest 200-meters in the elite section, going 24.03, the second-fastest wind-legal time of her career.
Among the group of three just ahead of Eikeng at the break include 2022 USA pentathlon champ Chari Hawkins in second at 3756 points, and Tokyo Olympian Annie Kunz in third at 3727 points.
In the collegiate section of the decathlon, the Huskies' Jami Schlueter and Ollie Thorner stand second and third at the break with 3901 and 3853 points, respectively, while Washington State's Lee Walburn is eleventh at 3537.
University of Iowa grad Will Daniels leads the decathlon with 4107 points.
Schluter started by running a personal best 10.96 in the 100, then leaped 23-3.75 (7.09m) in the long jump, and followed with a throw of 44-3.5 (13.50m) in the shot put.
In the final two events of day 1, he finished with a clearance of 6-2.25 (1.89m) in the high jump and 50.48 in the 400 meters for a personal best.
Thorner ran 11.14 in the 100, then finished the long jump with a best of 22-2.5 (6.77m), before throwing the shot 42-9.5 (13.04m).
He then cleared 6-3.5 (1.92m) before setting a personal best in the 400, running 48.99.
Walburn, competing in his second decathlon this season, started off slowly, clocking 11.22 in the 100, then long jumping 20-1.75 (6.14m). He then threw the shot 38-5 (11.71m), before clearing 6-3.5 (1.92m) in the high jump, and running 50.58 in the 400.
The decathlon will resume Thursday at 10 a.m. and the heptathlon will continue at 11 a.m.
Additionally, athletes from all nine Washington Division I & II schools will be in action starting Thursday at the Cal State LA Twilight, Bryan Clay Invitational, and the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate meets.
MT SAC RELAYS (Wednesday-Saturday)
CAL STATE LA TWILIGHT (Wednesday-Thursday)
BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL (Thursday-Saturday)
PACIFIC COAST INTERCOLLEGIATE (Thursday)
BEACH INVITATIONAL (Friday-Saturday)
NOTE: The Mt. SAC Relays, and the sports information offices of Washington and Washington State contributed to this report.
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