Henderson wins Pac-10 heptathlon crown

Samantha Henderson scored a personal-best point total at the Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships in Tucson on Saturday to lead the Arizona State University track and field team in the opening weekend as she captured her first Pac-10 title by winning the heptathlon and leading a 1-2-4 finish for the Sun Devil women in the event that was held at Roy P. Drachman Stadium on the Arizona campus. Austin Prince was the top finisher for the men in the decathlon as he placed eight overall.

In the early team standings, the Sun Devil women have a large lead as Henderson (10 points), Keia Pinnick’s second-place showing (8 points) and Christabel Nettey’s fourth-place finish (5 points) give ASU 23 points with Washington State and Arizona standing second with six points. On the men’s side, Prince’s one point earned puts the Sun Devils in fifth place while UCLA (15), Oregon (11), Washington (10) and Stanford (2) are ahead of ASU.

Henderson, the first-day leader in the seven-event competition, picked up where she left off as she scored a huge personal best in the long jump by leaping 6.20m (20-04.25) to collect 912 points and obliterate her previous best of 6.06m (19-10.75) in the process. From there, Henderson placed fifth in the javelin with a heptathlon personal-best toss of 34.47m (113-01) to add 562 points before her time of 2:37.70 in the 800m run gave her the final 600 points of her life time best score. Her point total moved her up to third on ASU’s all-time list.

Pinnick stayed right behind Henderson on the second day as she too maintained her second-place standing from the first day. Pinnick opened with 801 points in the long jump with a leap of 5.84m (19-02.00) before throwing the javelin 28.16m (92-05) for an additional 442 points. In the final event, Pinnick went out fast and won the 800m run, earning 905 points after running 2:14.15.

In her first heptathlon competition ever, Nettey posted another solid day of scores, highlighted by her winning the long jump to open the day with an ASU heptathlon record mark of 6.30m (20-08.00). The mark tied the record that Jacquelyn Johnson set in 2008. From there, Nettey scored 329 points in the javelin with a toss of 22.13m (72-07) before closing out the competition with 599 points in the 800m run after posting a time of 2:37.75. Overall, Nettey’s first attempt at the heptathlon made her just the eighth woman to score 5,000 or more points in the event and place her seventh on the school’s all-time ledger.

On the men’s side, Prince scored a personal-best 6,779 points to finish eighth overall while Jeremy Marcinko was just behind in ninth with 6,769 points. Jamie Sandys was 14th overall with 6,201 points. For Prince, he opened with a decathlon personal-best time of 16.12 to score 719 points in the 110m hurdles before collecting 493 points in the discus for his toss of 31.47m (103-03). He then cleared 4.82m (15-09.75) for 856 points in the pole vault with a decathlon personal best before scored 523 points in the javelin (45.58m/149-06) and 648 points in the 1,500m run (4:45.23) to close out the event.

Marcinko scored 767 points in the 110m hurdles (15.70); 569 points in the discus (35.25m/115-08); 796 points in the pole vault (4.62m/15-01.75); 599 points in the javelin (50.71m/166-04); and 685 points in the 1,500m run (4:39.22). His mark in the javelin also stands as a personal best. Sandys, who was the top Sun Devil through the first day, continued to set the pace with a decathlon personal-best 15.53 in the 100m hurdles (787 points) and 34.25m (112-04) in the discus (549 points) before a no height in the pole vault scored zero points and took him out of the running. Sandys did finish the decathlon and scored 566 points in the javelin (48.48m/159-01) and 624 points in the 1,500m run (4:49.04).

The remaining events of the Championship will take place in Tucson next Friday and Saturday.

2011 Pac-10 Multi Championships
Women’s Heptathlon - Overall Score (Final)
1. Samantha Henderson - 5,470 points (PR) - #3 in ASU history
2. Keia Pinnick - 5,385 points
4. Christabel Nettey - 5,068 points (PR) - #7 in ASU history

Henderson - Day Two Only
Long Jump - 2nd place - 6.20m (20-04.25) - 912 points (PR)
Javelin - 5th place - 34.47m (113-01) - 562 points (Hep-PR)
800m Run - 9th place - 2:37.70 - 600 points

Pinnick - Day Two Only
Long Jump - 3rd place - 5.84m (19-02.00) - 801 points
Javelin - 7th place - 28.16m (92-05) - 442 points
800m Run - 1st place - 2:14.15 - 905 points

Nettey - Day Two Only
Long Jump - 1st place - 6.30m (20-08.00) - 943 points (Hep-PR) - equals ASU heptathlon record (Jacquelyn Johnson, 2008)
Javelin - 9th place - 22.13m (72-07) - 329 points (PR)
800m Run - 10th place - 2:37.75 - 599 points (PR)

Men’s Decathlon - Overall Score (Final)
8. Austin Prince - 6,779 points (PR)
9. Jeremy Marcinko - 6,769 points
14. Jamie Sandys - 6,201 points points

Prince - Day Two Only
110m hurdles - 14th place - 16.12 - 719 points (Dec-PR)
Discus - 13th place - 31.47m (103-03) - 493 points
Pole Vault - t-3rd - 4.82m (15-09.75) - 856 points (Dec-PR)
Javelin - 10th place - 45.58m (149-06) - 523 points
1,500m Run - 8th place - 4:45.23 - 648 points

Marcinko - Day Two Only
110m hurdles - 11th place - 15.70 - 767 points
Discus - 7th place - 35.25m (115-08) - 569 points
Pole Vault - 7th place - 4.62m (15-01.75) - 796 points
Javelin - 5th place - 50.71m (166-04) - 599 points (PR)
1,500m Run - 7th place - 4:39.22 - 685 points

Sandys - Day Two Only
110m hurdles - 9th place - 15.53 - 787 points (Dec-PR)
Discus - 10th place - 34.25m (112-04) - 549 points
Pole Vault - no height - 0 points
Javelin - 7th place - 48.48m (159-01) - 566 points
1,500m Run - 10th place - 4:49.04 - 624 points

Team Scores (Through Multis)
Women:
1. Arizona State - 23 points
2. Washington State - 6 points
2. Arizona - 6 points
4. UCLA - 4 points

Men:
1. UCLA - 15 points
2. Oregon - 11 points
3. Washington - 10 points
4. Stanford - 2 points
5. Arizona State - 1 point