Chaplin hits NCAA mark in heptathlon

AUSTIN, Texas – Senior Etienne Chaplin reached the NCAA provisional-qualifying point total in the heptathlon on day two of the 82nd annual Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.

"Under these windy conditions, I’m very pleased with the way Etienne competed today," associate head coach Rolando Greene said. "These winds are reaching 45 miles per hour and hit the athletes in the face during every event. I’m really pleased with her effort today and this was the mark we were shooting for. She had some events that didn’t go as well as we hoped but she picked it up in the other events. Her mark should get her to the national meet."

Chaplin racked up 2,144 points on day two for a two-day total of 5,400 points. Her score was just 100 points off the auto qualifier of 5,500 points. She finished third overall among the 16 competitors. Her mark ranks fifth nationally and leads the SEC.

"I was so excited for this meet and to come out and compete, that was the biggest thing for me," Chaplin said. "This was my first healthy heptathlon since having surgery after the 2008 indoor season. I wanted to open big and see what I could do."

"Now I’m going to work on being more consistent with my throws," Chaplin said. "I know I have the power to put big throws out there. I just need to be more consistent. There are some things I want to work on technically with the high jump too. They will come with repetition. Right now I’m just going to take it one day at a time. I want to be at my best right now but I know it’s important to peak at the right time of the season."

The senior from Chicago started day two with the long jump. In extremely windy conditions, Chaplin’s best jump of her allotted three measured 19-1.25 with a legal wind reading of 2.8. She added 795 points and finished fourth overall.

In the javelin, the sixth event of the heptathlon, Chaplin finished fourth among the 17 competitors. She marked a toss of 118-11 to earn 596 points.

Chaplin sat in third place heading in to the final event of the day, the 800-meter run, after moving up from fourth with a solid outing in the javelin. She clocked a half-mile time of 2:25.30 to score 753 points and hold on to her bronze finish.

Chaplin will travel to Gainesville, Fla. to join the rest of the Razorback women’s track and field team for the Florida Relays, April 3-4. For more information and complete results, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com or TexasSports.com.