CLOVIS, Calif. – The 2022 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships continued Thursday afternoon with the final day of the heptathlon. Sara Absten came in second in the event with 5,503 points and freshman Jenna Fee Feyerabend placed third with 5,407 points.
"As a group, the heptathletes had a good competition," said Head Coach Shelia Burrell. "Sara had four personal bests, Jenna had two personal bests and two season bests. Thaila had two personal bests and two season bests, while Ruthie had a season best and collectively they put 18 points on the board for the team in a single event."
Absten started the day strong, setting a new PR in the long jump. She leapt 19-09.50, which is almost five inches further than her previous best of 19-04.75. That new PR for Absten earned her third place in the event and put her solidly in second place heading into the final two events.
Thaila Wilson stunned the crowd in the second event of the day. The sophomore from St. Catherine, Jamaica threw 152-09 in the javelin throw, winning the event by over 20 feet, while the next closest competitor threw 131-06. That mark of 152-09 is the second furthest throw in school history, only behind Niki Oudenaarden who threw 160-05 in 2014.
In the final event of the day, the 800m run, the Aztecs put in another strong showing. Absten led for much of the race but was out leaned at the line for the win in the event, coming in second place by 0.04 of a second. She finished in 2:20.04, while Fee Feyerabend capped off her day with a third place showing in the event, running 2:23.29.
"Sara has improved by 570 points in the heptathlon from last year to this year, which is a huge improvement," Burrell said. "I'm really proud of her performance and leadership this season. As a former heptathlete myself, this was a really fun competition for all the athletes from each university."
Absten finished the heptathlon in second place with 5,503 points, scoring eight points in the team category for the Aztecs, while Fee Feyerabend finished third with 5,407 points and scored six points in the team category. Wilson also finished fifth for SDSU, earning four more points in the team category.
The Note: Two Aztecs entered the record book on Thursday afternoon. Sara Absten scored 5,503 points in the heptathlon which puts her at No. 7 all-time, and Thaila Wilson threw 152-09 in the javelin throw, good for No. 2 all-time in the discipline.
Up Next: Day three of the Mountain West Championships is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. PT tomorrow with the long jump. Track events start at 5:00 p.m. PT, with the qualifying round for the 1,500m final.
Streaming: The Mountain West Network will provide live coverage of the 2022 MW Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Fans can watch the outdoor track & field championships on their phones or connected TVs via the Mountain West app. Watch every moment of the MW Outdoor Track & Field Championships LIVE on your own TV through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Mobile applications are available through the iOS App Store and Google Play. Visit TheMW.com/app for more information.
Mountain West Championships – Clovis, California
First Place and SDSU Result
Overall Team Standings (Through One Event)
1. San Diego State – 18 points
2. Colorado State – 10 points
3. Fresno State – 6 points
Heptathlon Standings
1. Lexie Keller (CSU) – 5,834
2. Sara Absten (SDSU) – 5,503 – PR – No. 7 all-time
3. Jenna Fee Feyerabend (SDSU) – 5,407
5. Thaila Wilson (SDSU) – 4,882 – PR
12. Ruthie Grant-Williams (SDSU) – 3,774
Long Jump, Heptathlon
1. Lexie Keller (CSU) – 20-01.50 (+2.6)
3. Sara Absten (SDSU) – 19-09.50 (+1.7) – PR
4. Jenna Fee Feyerabend (SDSU) – 18-09.25 (+2.8) – PR
7. Thaila Wilson (SDSU) – 18-01.75 (+1.2) – PR
13. Ruthie Grant-Williams (SDSU) – 16-01.50 (+2.1)
Javelin, Heptathlon
1. Thaila Wilson (SDSU) – 152-09 (46.57m) – PR – No. 2 all-time
4. Jenna Fee Feyerabend (SDSU) – 119-08 (36.48m)
7. Ruthie Grant-Williams (SDSU) – 96-07 (29.44m)
12. Sara Absten (SDSU) – 87-05 (26.66m)
800m Run, Heptathlon
1. Lexie Keller (CSU) – 2:20.00
2. Sara Absten (SDSU) – 2:20.04 – PR
5. Jenna Fee Feyerabend (SDSU) – 2:23.29 – PR
12. Thaila Wilson (SDSU) – 3:02.64 – PR
Ruthie Grant-Williams (SDSU) – DNF
-SDSU-