Multi-Events mark start of 90th edition of the Kansas Relays
Day 1 Results: Overall | Decathlon | Heptathlon
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The 90th Kansas Relays kicked off Wednesday at Rock Chalk Park with the beginning of the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon events. Texas Tech sophomores Kaylee Hinton and Erin Lopez are at the top of the leaderboards following the first day of competition.
Lopez posted top-three finishes in three of the five opening-day decathlon events and totaled 3,728 points. He kicked off the day by running the second-fastest time in the 100 meters at 10.72, good for 924 points. He then flew to a mark of 7.03 meters (23-0¾) in the long jump, a mark only two other competitors could top.
Reinis Kregers, a former All-American for Kansas State, is a close second in the decathlon with 3,710 points following day one. He won the shot put with a mark of 13.73 meters (45-0½) as well as the high jump with a leap of 1.93 meters (6-4).
Kansas senior Dylan PoirierThe host Jayhawks have two participants in the event, senior Dylan Poirier and junior Lucas Shaw.
Poirier got out to a solid start, ending his day in fourth place overall. He set new personal records in both the shot put and high jump, with marks of 11.93 meters (39-1¾) and 1.78 meters (5-10), respectively. After the first five events, he amassed a score of 3,459 points, which is four points better than his previous day-one personal best.
On the women’s side, TTU’s Hinton collected a total of 3,336 points over the opening four events. She began by winning the 100-meter hurdles, setting the tone for the rest of the day. Hinton tallied two more victories by winning the high jump and the 200 meters. She heads into the second day of the heptathlon with a 182-point lead.
Junior April Micheaux of Central Michigan is in second place after posting top-five performances in all four of the day’s events, including a first-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 12.79 meters (41-11 ½ feet).
Sophomore Morgan Griffiths, junior Talia Marquez and junior Teri Huslig are the three Kansas women competing in the heptathlon.
Griffiths is currently in sixth place after earning 2,826 points. She posted runner-up finishes in both the 100-meter hurdles and the shot put. She also set a new personal best in the shot put with a mark of 10.94 meters (35-10¾).
Marquez is right behind Griffiths, ending the day in seventh overall. Her shot put throw of 10.14 meters (33-3¼) is a new personal best. She has 2,812 points going into the second day.
Huslig closed out day one of her first collegiate heptathlon in 12th place with 2,358 points. That included a fifth-place finish in the high jump, where she cleared a height of 1.62 meters (5-3¾).
The heptathlon and decathlon events will continue Friday morning with the women’s long jump and the men’s 110-meter hurdles kicking off at 9 a.m.
