VERMILLION, S.D. – The Omaha track & field team began competition at the Summit League Outdoor Championships on Thursday at South Dakota.
Senior
Jaycee Schettler led the way for the Mavericks in the heptathlon. She's in sixth place after the first four events with a score of 2,759, a lifetime best by 219 points.
Kylie Johnson and
Taylor Ramaekers are tied for 10th with matching scores of 2,560, and
Roxy Denton is 12th at 2,120.
"I was really happy with the way that Jaycee and all the heptathletes competed today," said head coach
Chris Richardson. "Jaycee has had a rough couple of weeks battling an injury and for her to do what she did today is a testament to her dedication and patience with the process.
"It's now time for everyone else to bring their best and leave it all out there."
Schettler ran a time of 15.90 in the 100 meter hurdles to open the heptathlon, a best for all conditions. She then posted a lifetime best mark of 4-10 ½ in the high jump and finished first in the shot put with a throw of 38-01 ½. She finished the day with an all-conditions best 200 meter time of 26.13.
Johnson posted an all-conditions best time of 15.35 in the 100 meter hurdles and put up a lifetime best high jump mark of 4-09 ½. She threw a shot put distance of 28-11 ¼ and then registered an all-conditions best 200 meter time of 26.72.
Ramaekers ran 16.32 in the 100 meter hurdles, her best for all conditions. She finished third in the high jump with a mark of 5-02 ¼, and her throw of 31-08 ¾ in the shot put was a lifetime best. She finished the day with an all-conditions best 200 meter time of 27.58.
Denton had UNO's best 100 meter hurdle time of 15.07, her best for all conditions. After not recording a height in the high jump, she came back with a lifetime best shot put mark of 33-01 ¼ and finished with an all-conditions best time of 26.51 in the 200 meters.
Also on Thursday,
Lori Vedder placed ninth in the javelin with a throw of 117-03 ½ while
Lucy Turner was 10th with a toss of 98-07 ½.
In the hammer throw,
Kinsey Scheffler was 16th with a distance of 114-02 ¼.
The final three events of the heptathlon open competition on Friday at 11 a.m. The Mavericks also will compete in nine other trials and finals in day two.
