Witte Leads Kansas Relays Heptathlon

LINCOLN?Senior Casie Witte and freshman Erin Hannon each benefited from good conditions during the opening session of the 80th annual Kansas Relays, as both Huskers are on personal-record paces through Wednesday’s first day of the women’s heptathlon.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Witte leads the field, which also includes Big 12 competitors Marianne Schlachter of Kansas State and Chelsea Helm of Kansas, with 3,169 points after recording individual event marks of 14.84 in the 100-meter hurdles, 5-10 ? in the high jump, 33-8 ? in the shot put and 26.05 (wind-aided) in the 200 meters. She owns a lead of 134 points in the heptathlon over <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Illinois’ Alecia Beckford-Stewart (3,035). Witte’s high jump performance marked a new career best and easily earned her NU’s fourth women’s regional qualification in the event this year, the most of any event for the Huskers so far this season.

A Lincoln, Neb., native who earned bronze in the heptathlon as a junior at the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, Witte is more than 100 points ahead of the pace she set during her previous best heptathlon performance set during that conference meet. She appears well on her way to crushing the score of 5,080 she recorded two weeks at the Texas Relays, when she finished the first day with 3,035 points.

Hannon, competing in her second heptathlon in as many weeks, sits in fifth place with 2,842 points and is only 46 points out of fourth place. Last week, when she recorded 4,190 points in her first career heptathlon at the Audrey Walton Combined Events, Hannon had collected 2,670 points following the first day. She recorded individual marks of 15.30w (100 hurdles), 5-5 ? (high jump), 33-8 1/2 (shot put), and 26.05 (200) on Wednesday?each season bests?and her efforts in both the shot put and 200 registered as outdoor lifetime bests.

The women’s heptathlon concludes Thursday, as the multi-events lead off all competition at 8:30 a.m. Also scheduled to see action for Nebraska tomorrow are five Huskers in the hammer throw and 10 other NU athletes during the Kansas Relays distance carnival.

Kansas Relays ? Results
Memorial Stadium
Lawrence, Kan.

Women’s Heptathlon (100h; SP; HJ; 200m; LJ; JV; 200m) Through 4 of 7 Events
1. Casie Witte, 3,169 (14.84; 5-10 ?; 33-8 ?; 26.05w)
5. Erin Hannon, 2,842 (15.30w; 5-5 ?; 32-9; 27.21w)