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STEPHENVILLE -- ACU heptathletes Jessica Withrow and Jessica Blair got the Wildcats' quest to reclaim the Lone Star Conference women's team title off to a good start Tuesday when they finished first and third, respectively, in the event at Memorial Stadium on the Tarleton State University campus.
Withrow won the conference title in the heptathlon with 5,042 points, while Blair was third with 4,392 pointws. Withrow, who won three of Monday's four first-day events, led by more than 300 points going into Tuesday's final three events, and she didn't let up on the final day.
Withrow won both the long jump and the 800 meters to give her individual titles in five of the sefven events. She beat Kyndel Howell of Angelo State by 333 points. Blair was third, followed by Angelo State's Rachel Williams (4,284 points), Chelsea Pattison of Texas A&M-Commerce (4,123 points) and Tarleton State's Caitlin Warren (3,902 points).
Withrow went 18-1.75 in the long jump to win Tuesday's first event, and then she was second in the javelin throw with a mark of 107-6.00. She then won the 800 meters in 2:29.98. Withrow's score of 5,042 is the top heptathlon mark in the nation.
Blair was second in both the long jump (17-11.50) and 800 meters (2:31.01) to finish with a personal-best 4,392 points that is just 60-plus points from being a provisional qualifying mark for next month's NCAA Division II outdoor championship meet.
Withrow and Blair, however, picked up 16 valuable points for the Wildcats, who this weekend will try to win back the LSC title that Angelo State has won each of the last two years. A major factor in those two ACU losses (2004 and 2005) has been its inability to get points in the multi-events. In 2004, ACU trailed ASU by 22 points going into the running and field-event portion of the meet, only to lose the title by one point as the Rambelles became the first team other than ACU to win the women's team title. Then last year ACU trailed by 21 points on its way to a 27-point loss to the Rams in the team race.
This year, however, the Wildcats will carry a 16-12 lead over the Rambelles into the weekend where ACU is favored to dominate the running events, while the Rambelles' strength will be in the throwing events.
"Jessica (Withrow) had a great two days," ACU head coach Don D. Hood said. "She competed very well, and she and Jessica Blair gave us a big boost. Jessica Blair really gave us good effort, and her four points are big for us."
On the men's side, Jon-Daniel Todd finished seventh in the decathlon with 5,696 points, failing to score for the Wildcats. Angelo State finished 1-2-6 in the decathlon to score 19 points, and will carry a 19-point lead over ACU into the weekend. The ACU men have won 12 straight LSC men's team titles and 21 total since 1978.
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