March 26, 2014
AUSTIN, TEXAS - When the dust settled on the first day of the multi-event competition at the 2014 Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Penn Staters were at the top of both the decathlon and the heptathlon. Freshman Rob Cardina (Lancaster, Pa.) had a career day, posting a school-record for points on Day 1 and leading the next closest competitor, 2013 NCAA Decathlon Champion Johannes Hock of Texas, by 95 points. Senior Brittney Howell (Wyncote, Pa.) also had an excellent start to her outdoor season and leads the pack in the heptathlon with 3,442 points.
Cardina began the day with a 10.99 in the 1000 meters, grabbing 863 points. His time marked a new PR and set a Penn State decathlon record. In the second of five events on the day, Cardina matched his previous PR in the long jump, a 23-2 (7.06m), which added 828 points to his tally. After posting a 42-2 (12.90m) in the shot put, which was worth 661 points, Cardina cleared 7-0.25 in the high jump, a huge PR for the freshman. The 934 points in the high jump gave Cardina a 55-point lead over Hock. Cardina concluded the day with a 50.69 in the 400 meters, extending his lead to 95 points. His day one score shattered the Penn State record of 3,931, previously held by Rick Klebans.
Howell opened up the heptathlon with the fastest time of the day and a new PR, a 13.61, in the 100 meter hurdles. The time earned her 1034 points. She then cleared 5-7.75 in the high jump (879 points) and threw for a mark of 36-9 in the shot put, good enough for another 608 points. Howell finished the day like she started, with another PR, this time in the 200 meters, finishing in a time of 24.63 (921 points). Howell enters day two with a narrow 11-point lead over Arkansas sophomore Alex Gochenour.
Multi-event competition in the 2014 Clyde Little field Texas Relays concludes tomorrow in Austin, Texas.