AZUSA, Calif. -- Washington State junior Liz Harper, competing in her first collegiate heptathlon, is in fourth place at the Mt. SAC Heptathlon and the California Invitational Heptathlon being held at Azusa Pacific University.
Harper, from Missoula, Mont., has 3,383 points after four events. The accomplished 400m hurdler opened the day with a 100m hurdles time of 14.02 seconds and followed with a PR clearance in the high jump of 5-feet, 10 inches (1.78m). She then threw the shot put a PR distance of 33-11 1/4 (10.34m) and finished the first day with a 200m time of 24.84.
Lindsey Schauble (freshman, Kennewick, Wash.) is in 33rd place (out of 52 competitors) after the first day with 2,783 points. Schauble, also making her collegiate debut in the heptathlon, ran the 100m hurdles in 15.48 and high jumped a PR height of 5-1 3/4 (1.57m). She threw a PR mark in the shot put of 32-10 1/2 (10.02m) and ran the 200m in a wind-aided PR time of 26.29.
Alissa Brooks-Johnson, a junior from Doty, Wash., who is the defending Pac-12 heptathlon champion, is dealing with some back soreness and only competed in the high jump where she clear 5-6 (1.68m) and threw the shot put a PR distance of 33-11 1/4 (10.34m).
Nia Ali, a USC alum currently running for Nike, is the first day California Invitational heptathlon leader with 3,712 points.
Angela Whyte, an assistant for the Cougars competing unattached in the Mt. SAC Relays Heptathlon, is in fifth place (out of 19 competitors) with 3,543 points. Whyte ran the fastest time of the field in the 100m hurdles of 13.16 seconds. She high jumped 5-5 (1.65m), threw the shot put 41-6 (12.65m) and finished the first day with a 200m time of 24.39.
Akela Jones, a senior at Kansas State, leads the Mt. SAC Relays hept with a score of 4,063 points.
The WSU heptathletes will complete their event Thursday and will be joined by other Cougars in Southern California to compete in some of the early Mt. SAC Relays racing and throws, as well as at the Long Beach State Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Meet.