TicketsHUNTINGTON, W.VA. –University of Cincinnati track and field student-athlete Katie Straus won the women's pentathlon and Cannon Riddle is in striking distance after day one of the men's heptathlon after day one of the Thundering Herd Invitational at the Jeff Small Track within the Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex on the campus of Marshall University.
Riddle, Sydney Spears and Straus were the only three Bearcats in action in Huntington and all had strong days in their respective competitions.
Straus rung up 3,587 points to earn the top spot on the podium, setting a pentathlon PR and setting the No. 6 mark on the UC career chart, surpassing her score of 3,515 from 2017. Straus was the top finisher in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking 8.97, just off her PR of 8.86. She cleared 1.59m (5-02.50) for 724 points in the high jump, tied for top honors and set a PR of 10.64m (34-11.00) in the shot put and set a pentathlon PR mark of 5.22m (17-01.50), besting her previous event jump of 5.15m and just off her career-best jump of 5.23m, set earlier this season. Straus clinched the overall title with a PR and the No. 5 all-time UC 800m pentathlon time of 2:25.07, besting her previous mark of 2:27.14, set a year ago.
Spears placed third in her first collegiate pentathlon, tallying 3,430 points, which ranks No. 9 on the UC career charts. She set personal bests in three of the five events, leaping 1.59m (5-02.50) in the high jump, throwing 10.13m (33-03.00) in the shot put and running 2:29.44 in the 800m. Spears' 800 time ranks No. 10 all-time for a UC athlete in the pentathlon. She also ran 9.23 in the 60m dash, which is tied for 10th on UC's multi-even chart and had a best effort of 5.17m (16-11.50) in the long jump.
Riddle, competing in his first collegiate heptathlon, sits third after the four day-one events with 2,708 points, which sits as the No. 7 all-time UC first-day tally. He was the top finisher in the long jump with a leap of 6.65m (21-10.00), good for 732 points, and finished second in the high jump with a best jump of 1.92m (6-03.50) which netted him 731 points. He also ran 7.45 in the 60m dash (729 points) and threw 10.51m (34-05.75) in the shot put for 516 points.
The men's pentathlon continues Saturday at 9 a.m. ET with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1000m. Riddle sits 146 points out of first place and four points out of second, trailing Yohua Reed from Eastern Kentucky who leads with 2,854 points and Justin Hollis from Charlotte, who sits second with 2,712 points.
Thundering Herd Invitational
Jeff Small Track ·Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex ·Huntington, West Virginia
January, 25, 2019
Women's Pentathlon
Overall (Through 5/5 Events)
1. Katie Straus: 3,587 points · UC PENT NO. 6
3. Sydney Spears: 3,430 points · UC PENT NO. 9
Events - Straus
60m Hurdles: 8.97 (916 points)
High Jump: 1.59m/5-02.50 (724 points)
Shot Put: 10.64m/34-11.00 (571 points) · PR
Long Jump: 5.22m/17-01.50 (620 points) · PENT PR
800m: 2:25.07 (756 points) · PR & UC PENT No. 5
Events - Spears
60m Hurdles: 9.23 (862 points) · UC PENT T-10
High Jump: 1.59m/5-02.50 (724 points) · PR
Shot Put: 10.13m/33-03.00 (538 points) · PR
Long Jump: 5.17m/16-11.50 (606 points)
800m: 2:29.44 (700 points) · PR
Men's Heptathlon
0verall (Through 4/7 events)
3. Cannon Riddle: 2,708 pts. · UC HEP NO. 7
Events - Riddle
60m dash: 7.45 (729 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 10
Long Jump: 6.65m/21-10.00 (732 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 5
Shot Put: 10.51m/34-05.75 (516 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 9
High Jump: 1.92m/6-03.50 (731 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 4
Riddle, Sydney Spears and Straus were the only three Bearcats in action in Huntington and all had strong days in their respective competitions.
Straus rung up 3,587 points to earn the top spot on the podium, setting a pentathlon PR and setting the No. 6 mark on the UC career chart, surpassing her score of 3,515 from 2017. Straus was the top finisher in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking 8.97, just off her PR of 8.86. She cleared 1.59m (5-02.50) for 724 points in the high jump, tied for top honors and set a PR of 10.64m (34-11.00) in the shot put and set a pentathlon PR mark of 5.22m (17-01.50), besting her previous event jump of 5.15m and just off her career-best jump of 5.23m, set earlier this season. Straus clinched the overall title with a PR and the No. 5 all-time UC 800m pentathlon time of 2:25.07, besting her previous mark of 2:27.14, set a year ago.
Spears placed third in her first collegiate pentathlon, tallying 3,430 points, which ranks No. 9 on the UC career charts. She set personal bests in three of the five events, leaping 1.59m (5-02.50) in the high jump, throwing 10.13m (33-03.00) in the shot put and running 2:29.44 in the 800m. Spears' 800 time ranks No. 10 all-time for a UC athlete in the pentathlon. She also ran 9.23 in the 60m dash, which is tied for 10th on UC's multi-even chart and had a best effort of 5.17m (16-11.50) in the long jump.
Riddle, competing in his first collegiate heptathlon, sits third after the four day-one events with 2,708 points, which sits as the No. 7 all-time UC first-day tally. He was the top finisher in the long jump with a leap of 6.65m (21-10.00), good for 732 points, and finished second in the high jump with a best jump of 1.92m (6-03.50) which netted him 731 points. He also ran 7.45 in the 60m dash (729 points) and threw 10.51m (34-05.75) in the shot put for 516 points.
The men's pentathlon continues Saturday at 9 a.m. ET with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1000m. Riddle sits 146 points out of first place and four points out of second, trailing Yohua Reed from Eastern Kentucky who leads with 2,854 points and Justin Hollis from Charlotte, who sits second with 2,712 points.
Thundering Herd Invitational
Jeff Small Track ·Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Complex ·Huntington, West Virginia
January, 25, 2019
Women's Pentathlon
Overall (Through 5/5 Events)
1. Katie Straus: 3,587 points · UC PENT NO. 6
3. Sydney Spears: 3,430 points · UC PENT NO. 9
Events - Straus
60m Hurdles: 8.97 (916 points)
High Jump: 1.59m/5-02.50 (724 points)
Shot Put: 10.64m/34-11.00 (571 points) · PR
Long Jump: 5.22m/17-01.50 (620 points) · PENT PR
800m: 2:25.07 (756 points) · PR & UC PENT No. 5
Events - Spears
60m Hurdles: 9.23 (862 points) · UC PENT T-10
High Jump: 1.59m/5-02.50 (724 points) · PR
Shot Put: 10.13m/33-03.00 (538 points) · PR
Long Jump: 5.17m/16-11.50 (606 points)
800m: 2:29.44 (700 points) · PR
Men's Heptathlon
0verall (Through 4/7 events)
3. Cannon Riddle: 2,708 pts. · UC HEP NO. 7
Events - Riddle
60m dash: 7.45 (729 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 10
Long Jump: 6.65m/21-10.00 (732 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 5
Shot Put: 10.51m/34-05.75 (516 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 9
High Jump: 1.92m/6-03.50 (731 points) · PR & UC HEP No. 4