Northern StateÃs Tanya Vassar competes in the high jump during the NSU pentathlon on Sunday at the Barnett Center. American News Photo by Ryan Deal (Aberdeen News / January 31, 2011) |
Two Northern State athletes picked up first place finishes at its own indoor pentathlon on Sunday at the Barnett Center.
NSU's Tanya Vassar won the women's pentathlon with 3,114 points, which is a season best. Austin Suther won the men's pentathlon with 3,033 points. NSU's Shae McClanahan tallied 2,537 points. The men were originally scheduled to do a heptathlon over two days, but it was changed to a pentathlon.
“It was great to see we won both sides of the event,” Northern State assistant track coach Brenda Fuller said. “It is always nice to get a win whether it is your best performance or not, a win is always good thing.”
Vassar's point total on Sunday was 34 points shy of her personal best, which she set at last year's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference multi-event.
“The point total isn't bad,” Vassar said, “but it is always nice to win. The win is better than nothing. Even if I did not get a personal best.”
Vassar had the best mark in the high jump (5-0 ), shot put (33-9 ) and the 800-meter run (2:35.43).
“This is good practice to get one in before you get to the actual conference meet,” Vassar said, “but that point total is better than the point total I had at this time last year.”
The conference multi-event is Feb. 13-14 in St. Cloud, Minn. Vassar and Fuller both said that her marks were average on Sunday.
“She is getting prepared for the conference multi in two weeks,” Fuller said. “It was just good to get out and do one right before then and kind of know what things to work on and improve.”
Suther had the best mark in four of the five events. Suther was not able to fully compete in multi-events last season because of shoulder surgery.
“It has been two years since he has competed in this event and he did great too,” Fuller said. “He got a mark in each event and he won the event so that is good.”
It was McClanahan's first ever competing in a multi-event.
“He got a mark in every event which is the goal for the first meet and he competed hard and got a mark,” Fuller said, “so we are very happy with that.”
The Northern State track and field team will compete in the North Dakota State Bison Open this Friday and Saturday in Fargo, N.D.
WOMEN'S RESULTS
1, Tanya Vassar, Northern State, 3,114: 60-meter hurdles, :09.99, 714 points; high jump, 5- , 666 points; shot put, 33-9 , 549 points; long jump, 16-5, 559 points; 800-meter run, 2:35.43, 626 points.
2, Melissa Walker, Mary, 2,927 points: 60-meter hurdles, :09.30, 848 points; high jump, 4-11 , 632 points; shot put, 25-3 , 380 points; long jump, 17-9 , 677 points; 800-meter run, 2:57.35, 390 points.
3, Janet Johnson, Mary, 2,755 points: 60-meter hurdles, :08.94, 922 points; high jump, 4-9, 566 points; shot put, 28-11 , 453 points; long jump, 16-7, 573 points; 800-meter run, 3:14.64, 241 points.
4, Allison Opp, Mary, 2,532 points: 60-meter hurdles, :10.51, 620 points; high jump, 4-4 , 439 points; shot put, 26-5 , 404 points; long jump, 15-9 , 511 points; 800-meter run, 2:41.34, 558 points.
MEN'S RESULTS
1, Austin Suther, Northern State, 3,033 points: 60-meter hurdles, 09:53, 633 points; long jump, 21-3 , 695 points; shot put, 34-0, 507 points; high jump, 5-8, 569 points; 1,000-meter run, 3:03.60, 629 points.
2, Shae McClanahan, Northern State, 2,537 points: 60-meter hurdles, :10.33, 480 points; long jump, 18-10 , 533 points; shot put, 27-10 , 396 points; high jump, 5-5 , 520 points; 1,000-meter run, 3:05.87, 608 points.
3, Kohl Koppinger, Mary, 2,413 points: 60-meter hurdles, :11.21, 336 points; long jump, 17-1 , 423 points; shot put, 28-5 , 406 points; high jump, 5-3 , 472 points; 1,000-meter run, 2:48.96, 776 points.
