RESULTS (PDF)
NAMPA, Idaho — These Vikings know how to make an entrance.
Opening the 2017 indoor season for the Portland State track & field team, juniors
Ta'mara Richey and
Donté Robinson provided some fireworks on the first day of the season at the Ed Jacoby Invitational/Multi, hosted by Boise State University at the Jackson Indoor Track. Richey finished second in the pentathlon with 3,145 points to move into eighth all-time in the event at Portland State, while Robinson set a new personal best while winning every event on the first day of the heptathlon.
Neither Richey nor Robinson came into Friday having completed either an indoor pentathlon or heptathlon at Portland State. Robinson had attempted a heptathlon at the 2016 Ed Jacoby Invite, but didn't finish it, while Richey was making her mutli-event debut at the meet.
Richey, unsurprisingly considering she was completing her first pentathlon, showed her strengths and weaknesses more than a seasoned multi-eventer might, but still rounded out a solid debut for herself Friday.
Richey jumped out to second place after the 60-meter hurdles, winning her heat and scoring 800 points (her highest point total in any event on the day) with her time of 9.54 seconds. Richey fell back in the ranks with lower marks in the high jump (4-06.75, 1.45m) and shot put (30-05.00, 9.27m), but shot back into second place while dominating the field in the long jump.
Richey jumped 18-09.25 (5.72m) in the long jump, beating the No. 2 athlete in the event by a full 16 inches. Richey's mark was just 1.5 inches behind her regular indoor PR in the long jump, and just half an inch behind her mark at last year's Big Sky indoor meet, where she placed third. Additionally, Richey's mark in the long jump moved her within 29 points of the lead going into the pentathlon's final event, the 800 meters.
George Fox's Annie Wright protected her lead from Richey, however, finishing the 800 in 2:29.45, a full eight seconds ahead of Richey, who crossed the line in 2:37.99.
Richey's 3,145-point total still ranks her seventh in the Big Sky so far this season, and would have ranked her in the top 18 of the pentathlon by the end of last season.
Robinson, meanwhile, was simply perfect on the first day of the heptathlon, going 4-for-4 in event wins and personal bests while staking himself out to a 280-point first-day lead.
Robinson got started with a personal best of 7.25 seconds in the 60 meters, giving him 796 points in the event – his highest total in one event on the day.
Robinson followed with a mark of 21-05.5 (6.54m) in the long jump – beating his old best by close to six inches – and then followed with a throw of 39-09.25 (12.12m) in the shot put – 15 inches better than his old best in the event.
Robinson capped his day with a clearance of 6-06.00 (1.98m) in the high jump, giving him 785 points in the event for his second-best single-event point total on the day.
Robinson finished day one with 2,902 points, 276 points better than his day-one total at the same meet last season.
Day two now represents a shot at redemption for Robinson, after he no-heighted in the pole vault at last year's meet and didn't finish the heptathlon. The pole vault will be the second event of the day for Robinson Saturday, after the day opens with the 60-meter hurdles at 9 a.m. (MT).
Get through those two tricky events, and Robinson could be running for glory when the heptathlon concludes with the 1,000 meters at 12:20 p.m. (MT).
Ed Jacoby Invitational/Multi
Nampa, Idaho
Jacksons Indoor Track
Jan. 13, 2017
Women's Results:
Pentathlon: 2.
Ta'mara Richey, 3,145 points (60H: 2. 9.54, 800 points; High Jump: 7. 4-06.75 (1.39m), 502 points; Shot Put: 4. 30-05.00 (9.27m), 482 points; Long Jump: 1. 18-09.25 (5.72m), 765 points; 800m: 3. 2:37.99, 596 points).
Men's Results:
Heptathlon (through four events): 1.
Donté Robinson, 2,902 points (60m: 1. 7.25, 796 points; Long Jump: 1. 21-05.5 (6.54m), 707 points; Shot Put: 1. 39-09.25 (12.12m), 614 points; High Jump: 1. 6-06.00 (1.98m), 785 points).
