Day One of the Alabama Relays Complete
3/16/2006 12:00:00 AM
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| Harvey Glance |
The first day of the Alabama Relays ended Thursday afternoon at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium with Matt VanZandt of Troy leading the decathlon after five events and Illinois St.’s Lauren Maul holding a commanding lead in the heptathlon after four of the seven events.
VanZandt finished first in the 100-meter dash, the long jump and the 400-meter dash as well as posting a second place finish in the high jump and a third place finish in the shot put to finish the day with 3,664 points, nearly 400 more than second place competitor Daryl Brady of Mississippi State.
Maul scored 3,314 points on the first day of the heptathlon by finishing first in the 100m hurdles, the high jump and the 200m dash. She took second place in the shot put to put her 306 points ahead Southern Miss’ Ashley Reyer, the winner of the event at last year’s Alabama Relays.
The Crimson Tide had a pair of athletes participate in the decathlon, but they competed unattached. John Kragt and Daryl Aldridge stand third and fourth in the competition with 3,233 and 3,212 points, respectively. The duo finished one-two in the shot put to highlight their day.
Alabama head coach Harvey Glance chose to have the athletes compete unattached so that they could pick up experience.
“I want to make sure that they get some valuable experience in their first competition outdoors,” Glance said. “I want them to gain some experience at this level and maybe down the road they will be able to help us. They are not quite ready to help us in individual events. They need experience in the decathlon. This is good for them.”
The decathlon and heptathlon continue Friday at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium beginning at 9:00 a.m. Those events will be followed by the running of both the men’s and the women’s 10,000 meter runs. Admission to the Alabama Relays is free.
