Junior Florida heptathlete Gray Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio) broke his own first-day heptathlon school record, currently sitting in first place through four events, and freshman Brittany Harrell (McComb, Miss.) turned in one of the top-15 pentathlon scores in the nation this season in her first collegiate multi-event, late Friday evening at the Texas A&M Challenge presented by Mondo America in the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.
Horn leads the heptathlon competition with a school-record 3,242 points through four events, which broke his previous first-day heptathlon school record of 3,137, recorded at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships. He charted personal bests in two of the four events and was close to his personal best in the other two disciplines. Horn won three of his four events on Friday evening.
Harrell placed fourth turned in a score of 3,731 in her first collegiate pentathlon, which ranks among the top-15 pentathlon tallies in the country so far this season. Her first effort at the collegiate level was within less than 300 points of Florida’s school pentathlon record, set by Dorchelle Webster in 1990.
“I’m very, very pleased with how Gray and Brittany performed today,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “I am really proud of Brittany for coming out in her first pentathlon as a freshman and having one of the top-15 scores in the country. She showed a lot of patience and composure. When things didn’t go her way, she didn’t get frustrated, she just kept fighting.
“It was a big day for Gray with a new first-day school record,” Holloway continued. “I’m really looking forward to seeing him come out tomorrow with that same focus and drive. We’re big on not holding on to today and we understand that tomorrow is a completely different day. I’m also looking forward to seeing the rest of our men and women compete very hard tomorrow.”
Horn opened the day with a personal-best time of 6.98 to place first in the 60-meter hurdles. He followed that up with a first-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 7.26m/23-10. That was close to his personal-best mark of 7.28m/23-10.75 in the long jump, established during the 2009 season.
Horn then charted a massive improvement on his personal best in the shot put, placing sixth in that competition with a mark of 13.41m/44-0. That shattered his previous best mark of 12.49m/40-11.75, which was recorded at the 2009 NCAA Championships. He closed the day by winning the high jump with a leap of 1.98m/6-6. That was just shy of his personal best of 2.02m/6-7.50.
Horn will complete the final three events of the heptathlon (60mH, pole vault and 1,000m) beginning at 12 p.m. ET Saturday.
Harrell began the heptathlon with a sixth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.88. She followed that up with a fifth-place showing in the high jump (1.70m/5-7), which at the time vaulted her into third place in the overall competition. Harrell then placed sixth in the shot put with a toss of 10.92m/35-10.
Harrell battled through the long jump to finish sixth overall with a leap of 5.28m/17-4, before running a gutsy 800-meter race to close out the event. She placed third in the 800m by clocking a time of 2:28.31.
The second and final day of the Texas A&M Challenge begins at 12 p.m. ET from the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.
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TEXAS A&M CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY MONDO AMERICA
(JANUARY 28-29, 2011: COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS)
(JANUARY 28-29, 2011: COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011
Women’s Pentathlon 60m Hurdles – 7 p.m. ET (AUTO: 8.14)
6. Brittany Harrell – 8.88 (935 points)
Men’s Heptathlon 60m – 7:15 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.60)
1. Gray Horn – 6.98 (889 points)
Women’s Pentathlon High Jump – 7:35 p.m. ET (AUTO: 1.85m/6-0.75)
5. Brittany Harrell – 1.70m/5-7 (855 points)
Men’s Heptathlon Long Jump – 7:50 p.m. ET (AUTO: 7.90m/25-11)
1. Gray Horn – 7.26m/23-10 (876 points)
Women’s Pentathlon Shot Put – 8:50 p.m. ET (AUTO: 16.90m/55-5.50)
6. Brittany Harrell – 10.92m/35-10 (590 points)
Men’s Heptathlon Shot Put – 9:05 p.m. ET (AUTO: 19.30m/63-4)
6. Gray Horn – 13.41m/44-0 (692 points)
Women’s Pentathlon Long Jump – 9:40 p.m. ET (AUTO: 6.38m/20-11.25)
6. Brittany Harrell – 5.28m/17-4 (637 points)
Men’s Heptathlon High Jump – 9:55 p.m. ET (AUTO: 2.24m/7-4.25)
1. Gray Horn – 1.98m/6-6 (785 points)
Women’s Pentathlon 800m – 10:05 p.m. ET (AUTO: 2:05.00)
3. Brittany Harrell – 2:28.31 (714 points)
WOMEN’S PENTATHLON FINAL SCORES (FIVE EVENTS)
1. Ryann Krais, Kansas State (4,021)
2. Lucie Ondraschkova, Georgia (3,947)
3. Daphne Fitzpatrick, Texas A&M (3,768)
4. Brittany Harrell, Florida (3,731)
5. Julia Zeiner, Kansas State (3,469)
6. Neal Tisher, Ole Miss (3,431)
7. Katie Grimes, Texas Tech (3,418)
8. Saniel Atkinson, Georgia (3,411)
9. Lauren Garrott, Kansas State (3,379)
10. Santerri Baker, Georgia (3,299)
11. Jenna Alpert, Georgia (3,197)
12. Cenarda Jackson, Kansas State (3,191)
13. Mary Nall, Ole Miss (3,186)
14. Claire McConnell, Oklahoma (3,070)
15. Christiana Coleman, Ole Miss (2,712)
MEN’S HEPTATHLON FIRST-DAY SCORES (THROUGH FOUR EVENTS)
1. Gray Horn, Florida (3,242)
2. Michael Ayers, Georgia (3,153)
3. Chuck Zavala, Texas Tech (3,043)
4. Ben Davies, Georgia (3,005)
5. William Markert, Texas A&M (2,981)
6. Moritz Cleve, Kansas State (2,924)
7. Tommy Barrineau, Georgia (2,878)
8. Nick Green, Texas Tech (2,829)
9. Tomas Kirielius, Kansas State (2,774)
10. David Silverstein, Georgia (2,133)
11. Casey Felton, Texas Tech (1,936)
