BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Jenelle Hurley reached 4,821 points in the heptathlon on Tuesday to hit a new personal-best and finish second at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Combined Events Championships that took place in Bellingham.
It was a big PR mark for Hurley as her new point total is second on the WOU all-time list and 13th in NCAA DII. Alaska Anchorage's Elena Cano was just able to hold off Hurley for the title with 4,936 points, as it came down to the final event. Amity Deters hit a new PR as well with 4,373 points to come in fourth. Ana Popchock and Macy Clemens also add PR point totals with Popchock finishing sixth with 4,167 points and Clemens in seventh with 3,977 points. Overall, the four combined to tally 18 team points for WOU that will carry over to the GNAC Outdoor Championships next week in Ellensburg.
Hurley started day two approaching her PR in the long jump reaching a distance of 18-10.5 to win the event and move to first in the standings. She continued that momentum with a new PR throw in the javelin hitting a mark of 117-8 to come in second and hold her lead on the standings. That set the stage for the 800 which was the final event of the heptathlon. Hurley came in third with a time of 2:30.53, as Cano was able to just beat out Hurley for the title by coming in second in the 800. Hurley set new PR marks in the shot put, 200 and javelin during the GNAC Combined Events.
Deters started day two coming in fourth in the long jump hitting a distance of 17-6.25 for a new PR. Another PR followed in the javelin. Deters hit a mark of 94-3 to come in fifth. She then made it three straight personal-best marks on the day in the 800 coming in with a time of 2:31.84 to place fourth. Deters already held the 10th WOU all-time best point total in the heptathlon and added a few more points to that total with this result.
Popchock, having just entered one heptathlon prior to the GNAC Combined Events Championships, she added another PR total in the event. Popchock opened day two coming in eighth in the long jump with a distance of 16-10. She then came in seventh in the javelin hitting a distance of 85-2. Rounding out the day, Popchock posted a time of 2:40.37 in the 800 to place seventh.
Clemens also added a PR in her second collegiate heptathlon. She opened the day with a new PR in the long jump hitting a distance of 17-2 to place fifth. Clemens then added another PR in the javelin with a distance of 90-4 to come in sixth. Clemens then concluded day two coming in sixth in the 800 with a time of 2:39.12.
Brennen Sorah wasn't able to compete on day two.
All of these results will carry over to the GNAC Outdoor Championships that will take place May 13-14 in Ellensburg, Wash. WOU will finish this week competing in three meets, Friday at the Oregon Twilight and then Saturday at both the Portland Twilight and Linfield Open.
