Schultz, Williamson Nab First-Team All-America Honors
Mar 10, 2017 | Track & Field
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A record-breaking pentathlon performance by Nina Schultz capped an historic indoor season for the freshman, while senior Kim Williamson closed out her Wildcat career with a strong performance in the high jump as both earned First-Team All-America honors on day one of the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas.
Schultz finished in third place in the pentathlon with a final score of 4,340 points, shattering the Canadian U-20 Pentathlon Record, a record which she had set in early February at the Sevigne Husker Invitational with a mark of 4,271 points. Williamson took seventh in the high jump with a final mark of 1.84m/6-00.50 to earn her second-straight First Team All-America honor.
“After today’s performances, I think we have a shot of finishing in the top-10 on the women’s side,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. “I would not be surprised if both Janee’ [Kassanavoid] and Shardia [Lawrence] place pretty high on Saturday. The women have finished in the top-10 four meets in a row, which is really hard to do. To think we now have a shot to do it five times in a row, especially after losing two national champions off last year’s team, speaks volumes to how these young kids are performing.”
Schultz got off to a fast start in the women’s pentathlon, crossing the finish line in 8.41 in the 60-meter hurdles, a new personal best, to claim second place in section four and seventh place overall in the event.
The freshman then came alive in the pentathlon high jump, recording a personal-best mark of 1.81m/5-11.25 to claim third place in the event. Schultz opened at 1.63m/5-04.25 and was perfect through her first five bars before recording a first-attempt miss at 1.78m/5-10, a bar that she then cleared on her next jump.
Her shining moment came at 1.81m/5-11.25, which she cleared with ease to stay alive in the competition and record her new personal best. The leap, which topped her previous best by one centimeter, moved her into a tie for fourth place on the pentathlon high jump all-time list with Terresha DeRossett, who cleared the height at the Big 12 Championships in 2001.
Schultz continued her dominance in the shot put, where she also recorded a personal best. After opening with a toss of 12.05m/39-06.50, the freshman stepped up for her second attempt and launched her lifetime-best throw of 12.14m/39-10 to secure eight place in the event and fifth place overall in the competition.
The Canadian national had her back against the wall in the long jump after fouling on her first two attempts. However, she stepped onto the runway and recorded the best leap of her career, jumping 6.18m/20-03.50 to finish in third place. The mark is the second farthest mark on the school’s pentathlon long jump all-time list behind Wildcat great Akela Jones, who holds the pentathlon long jump school record with a leap of 6.38m/20-11.25.
Entering the final event in third place overall in the pentathlon, Schultz used a time of 2:26.55 in the 800-meter run to preserve her position in the final standings and earn First Team All-America honors. She is now just the third freshman since 2000 to earn All-America honors, joining former high jump Alyx Treasure and former distance runner Amy Mortimer.
“Nina has had a long, very successful freshman year,” Rovelto said about his freshman pentathlete’s performance. “She had a great meet and competed really well. Her first four events were personal bests and her final score was a personal best. She is a good one and she is going to be special going forward.”
Williamson was the only other Wildcat in action on the first day of competition in College Station. Competing in her final meet in the purple and white, the senior posted a final mark of 1.84m/6-00.50 to finish in seventh place and claim First Team All-America honors for the second-straight season.
The Frankfield, Jamaica, native opened the competition at 1.76m/5-09.25, which she cleared on her first attempt. She saw more of the same at the second height in the progression, clearing 1.81m/5-11.25 with ease on her first jump at the bar.
The senior ran into problems at 1.84m/6-00.50, missing her first two attempts at the height before using a gutsy performance on her final attempt to clear the bar to keep her alive in the competition. She posted three solid attempts at 1.87m/6-01.50, but could not make the mark.
“Kim is physically better than she was a year ago,” Rovelto said about his high jumper. “However, technically she is not doing what she needs to be doing in the curve right now. Once she figures that part out, she is going to jump really high.”
K-State returns to action at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, as junior Christoff Bryan and sophomore Shardia Lawrence open competition in the men’s high jump and women’s’ triple jump, respectively. Senior Janee' Kassanavoid closes out competition for the Wildcats in the women’s weight throw, which is slated for a 4:30 p.m, start.
More information on the meet, including a complete rundown of events, starts lists and more, can be found on the meet central page on the Texas A&M track and field website by clicking here. Live results throughout the meet will also be provided and can be located here.
Fans can catch Saturday’s action on ESPN3 beginning at 3:55 p.m. A re-air of the championship will take place on Sunday starting at 6 p.m., on ESPN2.
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
NCAA Championships
Gilliam Indoor Stadium
College Station, Texas
Women’s High Jump
7. Kim Williamson – 1.84m/6-00.50
Pentathlon Final Score
3. Nina Schultz – 4,340 pts. (PR)
Pentathlon 60 Meter Hurdles
7. Nina Schultz – 8.41 (PR)(1,037 pts.)
Pentathlon High Jump
3. Nina Schultz – 1.81m/5-11.25 (PR)(991 pts.)
Pentathlon Shot Put
8. Nina Schultz – 12.14m/39-10 (PR)(670 pts.)
Pentathlon Long Jump
3. Nina Schultz – 6.18m/20-03.50 (PR)(905 pts.)
Pentathlon 800 Meter Run
12. Nina Schultz – 2:26.55 (737 pts.)
K-State Track and Field | Tyson Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 18
K-State Track & Field | DeLoss Dodds Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 04
K-State Track & Field | Thane Baker Invitational Recap
Monday, January 19
K-State Track & Field | Uniform Reveal
Tuesday, November 11
