Feb. 28, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Kentucky senior Ashley Trimble became the first person in school history to capture an indoor Southeastern Conference women’s pentathlon title when she rallied from fifth place on the final event to claim the title with a school-record and NCAA provisional-qualifying score of 3,991.
Mississippi State’s Marrissa Harris finished second overall in the pentathlon with a final score of 3,945, while Alabama’s Chealsea Taylor was third with a tally of 3,934.
“This feels so great,” Trimble said. “I was a little nervous after the shot put because it was shaky, but it feels great. In the 800m, the coaches just gave me a race plan and I followed it to victory. I was scared before the final results were announced, but now I’m just excited. My hard work paid off.”
Trimble bested her previous personal-record score of 3,989, setting personal bests in both the 800-meter run and the 60-meter hurdles. Trimble was in fifth place in the event with a score of 3,094 heading into the final event – trailing the then-event leader by 123 points. She then blazed past the finish line in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:14.72 to claim the league event crown.
“Ashley is one of the hardest-working girls on our team,” Kentucky multi-events coach James Thomas said. “She fought through a lot of things to get here and earned the opportunity to become a champion. She PR’d in the hurdles and the 800 and she started us out with a championship. I couldn’t be happier.”
South Carolina senior Curt McGill leads the men’s heptathlon through four events with an overall score of 3,168. McGill picked up wins in the long jump and shot put en route to his first-place standing.
Tennessee sophomore Michael Ayers is second with a score of 3,128, while Florida freshman Gray Horn is third overall with a tally of 3,104.
“It was a great day,” McGill said. “I put in a lot of hard work and it has paid off. The long jump was the best surprise of the day. It was my first time over 23 feet indoors, so that was great for me. Now, I have to get ready to come back and perform well tomorrow.”
The 60-meter dash, the long jump, the shot put and the high jump were contested on the first day of the heptathlon. The 60-meter hurdles, the pole vault and the 1,000-meter run of the event will take place on Saturday.
Day two of the 2009 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships begins at 11 a.m. EST Saturday with the women’s weight throw and ends at 7:15 p.m. EST with the women’s 3,000m run.
For all of the latest information on the 2009 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships, please log on to www.secsports.com.
Women’s Pentathlon Overall Scoring (Final)
1. Ashley Trimble – Kentucky – 3,991 P
2. Marrissa Harris – Mississippi State – 3,945 P
3. Chealsea Taylor – Alabama – 3,934 P
4. Laquinta Aaron – Mississippi State – 3,917 P
5. Ellen Wortham – Tennessee – 3,736 P
6. Danielle Sampley – Kentucky – 3,645
7. Rachel Robbs – Alabama – 3,608
8. Peter-Gaye Beckford – Arkansas – 3,585
9. Ashley Newby – Kentucky – 3,542
10. Precious Nwokey – Kentucky – 3,428
11. Chelsea Thomas – Auburn – 3,404
12. Natalie Wise – Kentucky – 3,221
13. Johnnie Borries – Georgia – 3,180
14. Jena Murphy – Tennessee – 3,177
15. Mallory Hitt – Vanderbilt – 3,099
16. Jordan Myers – Alabama – 3,825
17. Bridgett Rose – Mississippi State – 2,511
Men’s Heptathlon Overall Scoring (Through Four Events)
1. Curt McGill – South Carolina – 3,168
2. Michael Ayers – Tennessee – 3,128
3. Gray Horn – Florida – 3,104
4. Scott Pierce – South Carolina – 2,956
5. Tommy Barrineau – Georgia – 2,888
6. Nate Durham – Arkansas – 2,884
7. Terry Prentice – Arkansas – 2,850
8. Eddie Stoudemire – South Carolina – 2,842
9. Matthew Best – Tennessee – 2,826
10. Cory Harris – Georgia – 2,785
11. Michael Hughes – Alabama – 2,749
12. Jager Livingston – Auburn – 2,650
13. David Silverstein – Georgia – 2,644
14. Kevin Carney – Kentucky – 2,573
15. Fuery Hocking – Georgia – 2,534
16. Justin Brady – Alabama – 2,484
17. Ryan Troy – Florida – 2,396
