| June 10, 2004
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Dupree earns All-America honors in heptathlon Official Web Site (www.texassports.com)
AUSTIN, Texas – UTSA sophomore Ryanne Dupree picked up her first All-America certificate with a seventh-place finish in the women’s heptathlon and senior Carl Johnson improved his own career best in the 110-meter hurdles on Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Dupree, a San Antonio East Central High product, scored 5,316 points in the seven-event competition in a field of 28 athletes. She entered the second day in seventh place after posting 3,248 points through the first four events in between eight hours of rain delays on Wednesday. Dupree remained in seventh throughout the final three events en route to becoming UTSA’s first female All-American since Rhonda Ray also finished seventh in the heptathlon at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor.
Dupree, the Southland Conference champion in the 100m hurdles, opened day two with a 19-3 Ľ measure in the long jump, good for 810 points. After a 107-5 effort in the javelin, she clocked a 2:27.12 in the grueling finale, the 800 meters, for her final tally of 5,316. That marks the second-best heptathlon of her career behind her winning total of 5,383 posted earlier this spring at Texas Relays. Dupree also was just 23 points behind sixth-place finisher Josie Hahn of Vanderbilt (5,349).
“I’m just coming off a hamstring injury so I probably didn’t get to practice as well as I could have leading into the meet,” Dupree said. “Considering the conditions on Wednesday, I’m happy with the way I performed. We’re probably in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest day of the heptathlon, but things like that happen so you just try to roll with it.”
Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson upset favorite Hyleas Fountain of Georgia for the heptathlon crown. She scored 5,807 points in overtaking Fountain (5,785) in the final event.
Senior Carl Johnson closed out his outstanding UTSA career by improving his own personal best in the 110m hurdles with a 13.83 clocking. The five-time SLC champion finished seventh in his preliminary heat and 17th overall in the field of 27, but missed the final field of nine. His 13.83 was wind-aided, but is the fastest fully-automatic timed mark in school history.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships continue Friday through Saturday. UTSA senior Justin Youngblood will aim for his third All-America honor in the men’s decathlon beginning with the 100m at 12:30 p.m. NOTE: Photo of Ryanne Dupree by Kirby Lee, The Sporting Image. |
