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2/24/2006 Gainesville, Fla. – Vanderbilt senior Garnetta Holloway eclipsed her pentathlon personal best by more than 300 points while finshing eighth in the event Friday at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. Holloway, from Cleveland, Tenn., used all-time bests in the 55-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 800-meter run to accumulate 3,703 points. The total breaks Holloway’s previous best in the pentathlon by 193 points. Those 3,703 points qualify Holloway to participate in the NCAA Championships for the first time. Holloway, who finished 12th in the SEC pentathlon the last two years, missed topping Caitlin Ward of Tennessee by four points. LSU senior Megan Akre captured the pentathlon with a 3,971-point total. Holloway opened the competition with a personal record in the 55-meter hurdles of 8.52, then set another best in the high jump with a clearance of 5’4.25″. After the high jump success, Holloway moved to seventh overall with a 36’11” throw in the shot put. The effort marked a 18-inch personal record for Holloway in the event. Though beaming with confidence, Holloway’s lone underachievement came in the long jump, an event regarded as her specialty. After narrowly fouling on a jump beyond 19 feet, Holloway was credited with a best leap of 17’11.5″. The effort was a foot less than her previous best set twice earlier this winter. Holloway needed to make up ground in the final pentathlon event, the 800-mter run. Starting the 800 ninth overall, she ran an indoor best of 2:27.56 to edge ahead of Mississippi State’s Lauren Johnson, who ran two seconds behind Holloway. Several other Commodores, including solid distance hopefuls Amy Huss and Erika Schneble, are expected to compete this weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships. Huss, a junior from Wyomissing, Pa., could contend for points in the 3,000 meters Saturday. She will joined in the race by her twin sister, Debbie. Schneble, the SEC 5,000-meter champion in 2004, is entered in the 5,000 on Sunday afternoon. Three Commodore milers — seniors Caitlin Shannon and Alisa Cotter, and freshman Carmen Mims — will compete in preliminaries Saturday, as will freshman Lauryn Smith in the 200-meter dash and sophomore Lauren Fortson in the 800-meter run. The Commodores also are expected to compete in the distance medley relay on Sunday. |
