AUSTIN, Texas – While making her collegiate debut in the women’s heptathlon this week at the 85th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Lady Tiger freshman Alex Gochenour wrapped up Wednesday’s first day of action at Mike A. Myers Stadium in 10th place with 3,149 points through the first four events.
Gochenour was off to a fast start after clocking a 2012 wind-legal seasonal-best for the 100-meter hurdles after winning her heat with the third-fastest time of the day at 14.00 seconds for 978 points.
She then followed by clearing a height of 5 feet, 1 ¾ inches in the high jump for 701 points before posting a mark of 36-4 ¼ in the shot put for 684 points and running a wind-legal time of 25.18 for second place in her heat and seventh place overall in the 200-meter dash with an additional 870 points.
Gochenour wrapped up the first day of the Texas Relays heptathlon in 10th place after adding 3,149 points on the afternoon. Senior Chel Carrier-Eades of West Virginia is the leader in the clubhouse with a total of 3,536 points, followed by Texas Tech senior Precious Nwokey in second place with 3,368 points.
A product of Logan Magnolia Senior High School in Missouri Valley, Iowa, Gochenour signed with LSU a year ago as the nation’s No. 1-ranked prep heptathlon for the Class of 2011.
Gochenour is currently 79 points off of her personal-record pace in the event. She captured the 2010 USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships heptathlon gold medal as a high school junior with a PR of 5,300 points after scoring 3,228 points through the first four events on Day 1 of the competition.
The women’s heptathlon at the Texas Relays resumes Thursday at noon CDT with the first of three events at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Competitors will first step onto the long jump runway before finishing the day with the javelin throw and 800-meter run. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will then compete in the day’s first open field events at 12:30 p.m. and the first relay events at 5:50 p.m.