<rleton College junior Amelia Campbell (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sturgeon Bay) defended her MIAC Heptathlon title, totaling 4,970 points after finishing in the top three during all seven events.
Campbell entered day two with a 134-point advantage and opened the second half of the heptathlon with top mark of 5.08 meters (16′ 8″) in the long jump. It was smooth sailing from there. In the javelin throw, she placed second overall with a mark of 34.87 meters (114′ 5″). In the final event, the 800 meter run, she came in second by a fraction of a second to secure 816 points.
Campbell’s score currently ranks her No. 2 in Division III. She blew away the field at the conference competition, finishing 460 points ahead of runner-up Dani Larson from St. Olaf College.
For now, Campbell and the rest of the Knights will prepare for the MIAC Outdoor Championships set to take place May 8-9 at Macalester Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.
DAY 1 RECAP
The lone Carleton College athlete in the MIAC Heptathlon is making the most of her home-track and field advantage. Defending champion Amelia Campbell sits on a cushioned lead as the junior has racked up 3,004 points after the first day of competition. She placed top three in each of the four events, propelling her to a 134-point advantage heading into the final three events.
The day began with the 100-meter hurdles. Campbell had a solid performance as she posted a season-best 14.81. She earned 867 points for her first-place finish and jumped out to an 89-point lead. Then in the high jump, Campbell placed third with a mark of 1.59 meters (5’ 2.5”), and gave some ground to Dani Larson of St. Olaf and Bailey Cook of St. Thomas. Both trailed closely going into the shot put, but Campbell’s mark of 11.20 meters (36’ 9”) pulled her in front of the pack once again. To wrap up the day, Campbell finished second in the 200-meter dash. She received 805 points for her time of 25.91 seconds.
Campbell has been working her way back into form after an injury limited her participation during the indoor season and the start of the outdoor competition. Carleton head coach Donna Ricks commented, “Solid day for Amelia. Great to see her back on the track competing. We are being cautiously optimistic about everything. Our whole goal is to be strong and steady and get through this competition healthy.”
The 17 athletes in the field will finish the heptathlon on Friday with the long jump, javelin throw, and the 800-meter run.