Stephen F. Austin
Samford Multi
Key, Kaufmann Place in Top Three at Samford Stand Alone Multi
1/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Stephen F. Austin multi-event athletes started the 2016 indoor season on a positive note on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at the Samford Stand Alone Multi inside the Birmingham CrossPlex. Multiple personal records were set between the six ‘Jacks who competed in their first pentathlons/heptathlons of the year.
Sophomore Hunter Key recorded a big PR in the men’s heptathlon, collecting 4,778 points overall to take second place out of 16 men. The mark exceeded his previous standard of 4,476 – set last year at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships – by 302 points. Only Mississippi State’s Zach Taylor could outdo Key by way of a 5,029 two-day total.
Key was near the top of the group in just about every event, but he shined brightest on the first and final events of the meet. Key was jumpstarted by a third place effort in the 60-meter dash on Wednesday with a time of 7.24 seconds. He then finished strong on Thursday by running the 1,000m in 2:50.69 to take runner-up behind freshman teammate Tyji Yulee (2:46.01).
Yulee finished in ninth place in his collegiate debut with 4,358 points. The total was two points clear of Samford’s Austin Billings. Fellow freshman Tanner Parks compiled 3,625 points to end in 14th position. He earned a top five showing in the pole vault by jumping 12-11.50 (3.95m).
For the women’s pentathlon, junior Madeline Kaufmann led three Ladyjacks who finished in the top eight out of 24 competitors. She was the top collegiate performer as first and second place went to athletes competing unattached.
Kaufmann ended the day with 3,392 total points – 30 clear of UAB’s Ali Meister and just 42 points behind Anna Bowers for second. She catapulted up the leaderboard after the final event, using a time of 2:27.96 in the 800-meter run to grab 719 points. She took fifth in the race overall.
Sophomore Laniya Taylor also had a solid season debut in Birmingham, posting 3,219 points for fifth place. Freshman teammate Jillian Turner capped her first collegiate pentathlon in eighth (3,050 points).
The entire SFA track and field team will be off this upcoming weekend before returning to action next Friday and Saturday at the Houston Invitational. Events on Friday are scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. with the meet resuming on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.
-SFA-
