Barbara Nwaba had a solid first day in the heptathlon at the Sam Adams Multi-Events Invitational on Friday. (Presidio Sports photos)
Barbara Nwaba of the Santa Barbara Track Club ran a lifetime best in the 100 hurdles and took the first-day lead in the heptathlon at the Sam Adams Combined-Events Invitational on Friday at Westmont College’s track.
Meanwhile, Olympic decathlon champion and world record holder Ashton Eaton posted season best marks and meet and stadium records in selected events. He went 26-0.25 in the long jump and threw 14.1 meters in the shot put.
Olympic decathlon champion and world record holder Ashton Eaton competed in the shot put and long jump on Friday.
Nwaba, a former UCSB All-American and the No. 2-ranked American heptathlete, clocked 13.38 seconds in the 100 hurdles. She finished second to Olympian Brianne Eaton-Theisen, who was timed in 13.26, a stadium and meet record.
Nwaba capped her day with a sizzling 23.94 in the 200 meters. That mark put her into the lead after four events with 3,769 points. Olympian Sharon Day-Monroe, the No. 1 American heptathlete, is in second place with 3,757 points. Day-Monroe set a meet and stadium record in the shot put with a throw of 49-05. Lindsay Schwartz, third with 3,641 points, set PRs in the high jump (5-8.75) and shot put (42-09).
UCSB assistant track coaches Annett Fleming and Derek Masterson competed. Fleming is on a personal-best pace in the heptathlon. She started the day with a 14.02 lifetime best in the 100m hurdles and followed with a 5-8.75 high jump. She threw 46-0 in the shot put and closed the day with a 25.83 200m clip. She is in fourth overall after day one with 3,499 points.
Masterson is in sixth after day one of the decathlon with a total of 3,636 points.
Santa Barbara Track Club teammates Tom Hopkins and Tom FitzSimons are first and second in the decathlon. Hopkins, in his first competition, posted 4,047 points. He won the 100 in 10.94 and was second in the 400 in 47.57. FitzSimons had a PR of 23-6 in the long jump en route to 3,926 points.
