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Hahn Sixth in NCAA Heptathlon; Strong Second Day Effort Sparks Result 6/10/2004 Austin, Texas – Vanderbilt junior Josie Hahn moved past 10 competitors Thursday during the second day of activities to claim sixth place in the NCAA heptathlon at the University of Texas. Hahn used solid second-day performances in the long jump and javelin, then closed the heptathlon by approaching a personal best in the 800-meter run to earn the sixth place finish. After starting slowly Wednesday, Hahn accumulated 5,349 points in the heptathlon. It is the second consecutive year for Hahn to achieve All-American status at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She finished fourth in the heptathlon last year. The event produced a stunning individual victory by Arizona State freshman Jacquelyn Johnson. She defeated collegiate record holder Hyleas Fountain of Georgia by 22 points, overcoming the heavy favorite with a superb 800-meter effort. Johnson captured the event with 5,807 points. Others to finish ahead of Hahn were Ashley Selig of Nebraska, Andrea Pressley of Jacksonville and Brooke Meredith of California. Hahn, a native of Clinton, Tenn., will compete in the individual high jump Friday night. Another Commodore, sophomore distance runner Erika Schneble, is scheduled to run in the 5,000-meter finals Saturday night. She enters the race ranked sixth. Hahn was out of contention when Thursday’s competition began. She entered the day 16th overall, the result of a subpar overall showing Wednesday. Hahn’s most important performance came in the long jump, the first of three events staged Thursday. Hahn maintained her position with an 18’3.25″ long jump, an effort that missed her personal best by just four inches. She then vaulted seven competitors in the next event – a 138’4″ effort in the javelin toss. Needing a superb 800-meter effort to secure team points for the Commodores, Hahn ran 2:21.55, just .25 off her personal best. The performance moved Hahn past three more competitors into sixth place. |
