Track & Field Starts Big 12 Championship Run

FORT WORTH, Texas - On the first day of the Big 12 Outdoor Championship, the Baylor track and field team was led by its multi-athletes at the Lowdon Track and Field Complex.

Baylor's heptathlon and decathlon athletes put themselves in position to challenge for All-Big 12 honors on day two.

In the decathlon with five events completed, sophomore Hunter Powell is sixth with 3,482 points and Chase Hood is eighth with 3,424 points. Powell had the meet’s best mark in 400 meters to close out the day as he clocked a personal-best time of 49.55. He also set career-best marks in the long jump (19-10.75 [6.60m]), shot put (41-1.5 [12.53m] and high jump (5-8.75 [1.75m]).

Meanwhile, Hood set personal-best marks in all five events on the opening day, including the 100 meters (11.35), long jump (21-9 [6.63m]), shot put (38-3.25 [11.66m]), high jump (6-2.75 [1.90m]) and 400 meters (54.66).

Through four events in the heptathlon, junior Carly Grandcolas is ninth with 2,903 points. Competing for the first time in the 2016 outdoor season due to injury, Grandcolas scored big points in the high jump where she cleared 5-4.5 [1.64m] to record the third-best jump of the day. Currently, she is only 22 points outside of eighth-place and All-Big 12 honors with three more events to come on Saturday.

OTHER NOTABLES
• Blake Rawls finished ninth in the javelin with a throw of 159-7.75 [48.66m].
• Matt Galvin took 11th in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:05.05.
• Reed Rightmer placed 13th in the pole vault with a clearance of 15-7 [4.75m].
• Michelle Campa finished 14th in the hammer throw with a mark of 137-7 [41.93m].

TOP QUOTE #1 
"Our multis really had a great day. I thought they competed hard and really set themselves up for a good day tomorrow. I know the rest of our squad is ready to roll and have a big weekend." - head coach Todd Harbour on the day

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor athletes will be back on the track at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the continuation of the heptathlon. Field events start at 4 p.m. and running events get underway at 5:30 p.m. on the second day of the Big 12 Track and Field Championship.