RESULTS (PDF)

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Redshirt senior Donté Robinson saved his best for last Thursday.
 
Facing a 65-point deficit to Montana State's Wyatt Thompson-Siporen entering the final event on the first day of the heptathlon at the Big Sky Indoor Championships, Robinson won the high jump with a personal-best clearance at 6-06.25 (1.99m). That amounted to a 107-point swing, turning Robinson's 65-point deficit to Thompson-Siporen into a 42-point lead as Robinson finished with a personal-best first-day score of 2,989 points.
 
Robinson's first-day lead puts him in position to repeat as Big Sky champion in the heptathlon if he can back it up with a strong second day Friday. Robinson has the chance to become just the second Big Sky athlete to repeat as heptathlon champion if he can pull off the win Friday, joining PSU hall-of-famer Nick Trubachik.
 
The strong finish Thursday should also set up Robinson for a run at Trubchik's school record in the heptathlon. Robinson came within 36 points of the school record while setting a new personal best with a score of 5,396 points at the UW Invitational, Jan. 25-26, earlier this season. Robinson had 2,943 points after the first day at the UW Invitational, and would break the school record if he can match his second-day score at the UW Invitational Friday. Robinson had a standout second day at the UW Invitational that included by far his best showing in the pole vault when he cleared 15-01.00 (4.60m).
 
The pole vault will be critical again Friday, both for Robinson's chances at the school record but also for his title chase against Thompson-Siporen. Thompson-Siporen cleared 16-04.75 (5.00m) in the pole vault during the heptathlon at the MSU-UM Multis earlier this season, meaning Robinson will likely have to clear a good height himself in order to not lose too much ground against Thompson-Siporen in the event. Robinson has a significant advantage over Thompson-Siporen in the 60-meter hurdles, however, as his personal best of 8.31 seconds is nearly a second better than Thompson-Siporen's personal best of 9.20 seconds.
 
The athletes could seesaw between the 60-meter hurdles and pole vault Friday, making Robinson's first-day lead all the more important coming off of Thursday.
 
Robinson opened the day with a personal best in the 60 meters, as he won his heat and placed third overall with a time of 7.09 seconds. That shaved five-hundredths of a second off the personal best of 7.14 seconds that he set at last season's Big Sky meet, and gave him 851 points after one event.
 
Robinson then matched his personal best in the long jump, soaring to a mark of 22-06.25 (6.86m) on his third and final attempt. Robinson again placed third in the event, moving him up to second in the overall standings with 1,632 points through two events.
 
Thompson-Siporen gained points on Robinson in the long jump, however, and then leapfrogged Robinson for first in the standings with a strong mark in the shot put. Thompson-Siporen placed second in the shot put with a best throw of 41-03.00 (12.57m), four feet better than Robinson's best of 37-00.25 (11.28m).
 
Robinson answered with his strong showing in the high jump, as he cleared the bar at 1.96 and 1.99 meters on his first attempts while Thompson-Siporen topped out at 1.87 meters. Robinson pounded his chest after clearing at 1.96 meters as it guaranteed himself the first-day lead.
 
Robinson and the rest of the heptathlon field get underway at 10 a.m. (MT) Friday, with Robinson running in the fourth of five heats in the 60-meter hurdles.
 
Sophomore Kristen O'Handley finished 10th in the pentathlon Thursday with a score of 3,384 points.
 
O'Handley set a new pentathlon personal best in the second event of the day – the high jump – as she cleared 5-04.50 (1.64m). That beat her previous best in the pentathlon high jump of 5-03.75 (1.62m), which she in her first-ever meet as a Viking at the Vandal Invitational and Multi Events last season.
 
O'Handley was still ahead of personal-best pace following the shot put, when she finished with a mark of 31-03.75 (9.54m), but dropped off the pace over the last two events between the long jump and 800 meters.
 
O'Handley will compete again in the regular 60-meter hurdles, high jump and 200 meters Friday, as the rest of the Vikings get underway at the Big Sky Indoor Championships. Regular events for the Vikings start at 3 p.m. (MT) Friday, with Nicole Terry competing in the women's long jump, while Robinson competes in the prelims of the regular 60-meter hurdles at the same time.
 
Big Sky Indoor Championships
Worthington Arena
Bozeman, Mont.
Feb. 21, 2019
 
Women's Results:
Pentathlon: 10. Kristen O'Handley, 3,384 points (60H: 9. 9.24, 860 points; High Jump: 6. 5-04.50 (1.64m), 783 points; Shot Put: 10. 31-03.75 (9.54m), 499 points; Long Jump: 9. 16-10.50 (5.14m), 598 points; 800m: 15. 2:34.54, 637 points). 
 
Men's Results:
Heptathlon (through four events): 1. Donté Robinson, 2,989 points (60m: 3. 7.09, 851 points; Long Jump: 3. 22-06.25 (6.86m), 781 points; Shot Put: 5. 37-00.25 (11.28m), 563 points; High Jump: 1. 6-06.25 (1.99m), 794 points).