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Masters of the Multis

Shana Woods USR 5533 in Hept, Ryann Krais soph class record 5138

Shana Woods PRs in the Javelin - Photo Victah Sailer, Photorun.net

By Steve Underwood

Having missed the last World Youth meet and noting the people who had “been in my ear” about what she could do here, Long Beach Poly CA sr Shana Woods had plenty of motivation to win the heptathlon and make the Beijing team. But multi-eventers don’t always know where they’re going to get their biggest boost. For Woods Thursday, it came from the javelin.

“It was definitely a PR,” she said of her 132-07 effort, “by 12 feet!” The effort anchored Woods’ second day en route to her 5533 US Record. First-day leader Ryann Krais, the super soph from Methacon PA, was off on the first two events Thursday, but still held on for 5th with a prep sophomore class record of 5138.

Woods was also pleased with her 200 (24.40) and 100H (14.03) from Day 1, both of which she won. Still, she didn’t have the lead at that point. Krais did, despite not winning an event. The thing was she didn’t have any weaknesses in the first four disciplines, going 14.09 100H, 5-06.25 HJ, 32-06.25 SP, and 24.53 200, for 3263 to Woods’ 3226.

Woods’ other Thursday marks were 5-05.25 HJ and 31-05.75 SP.

Krais lost the lead, however, when she started Thursday with a 17-7 long jump (her PR is 20-3.75). Woods took the lead with 19-3, but herself lost 80 points to U. of Arizona collegian Shevell Quinley’s 20-01.25. Then Woods had the best jav among the contenders (2nd overall), gaining 6 points on Quinley, while Krais fell out of contention.

In the 800, Woods ran a strong, controlled race, slowing significantly on the 2nd lap, but not losing ground, then kicking well to hit a PR 2:20.10 in 2nd, 2.5 seconds up on Quinley.

The competitors had to wait through a storm delay of about an hour before the 800. Did that bother Woods at all? “No, it gave me more rest,” she said.

“I’m so excited,” she concluded. “I really wanted to make China since I didn’t get to go to Africa.”

Shawn Schmidt: 7 PRs En Route to Decathlon Victory

Shawn Schmidt pushes himself through the 1500 en route to victory in the Decathlon.
Photo by Davey, runmichigan.com

Shawn Schmidt almost ran out of gas before he could win the decathlon. He surrendered 181 points of his lead in struggling to a 4:57.89 in the 10th event, the 1500 meters. But his outstanding work in the other 9 events paid off handsomely with a US record in the “new” event as he netted 7264 points. That was good for a 21-point victory over Mathew Clark of Northern Iowa.

The juniors have previous contested the 110 hurdles in the decathlon at 42”; now it’s a 39”. Hence, the new record status. But the first record at the revised decathlon is hardly a soft one.

Schmidt was solid in the first two events, the 100 (11.42) and long jump (21-06.75), but it was when he won the shot put (49-03.75) that he took the lead for good. He added a nice cushion when he high-jumped 6-07, another win, then closed it out with a solid 50.78.

Any reasonable hopes the competition had of catching him were pretty much shot when Schmidt opened the second day with very solid marks of 14.63 110H and 140-00 discus. The latter was the 2nd best mark among the 19 competitors and well up on any contenders.

“The competition was great and with the PRs I set, I couldn’t ask for more,” he said. “I was pleased with everything up to the 1500. I was pretty tired there.”

Schmidt set lifetime PRs in the 100, 400, 110H, and pole vault, plus three more deca PRs. He considered the shot put the turning point. “I was pretty surprised with it,” he said. “I hadn’t been throwing that well.”