For athletics students in the United States, these days of March are the most important test this winter. The NCAA Championships will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday and Saturday. The participation threshold is very high – according to the results of the winter start, only the best 16 get the right to start in this prestigious competition. It is gratifying that three Latvian athletes, who study at two Texas universities, have also earned the right to start in Birmingham. Kristīne Blaževiča in the pentathlon, but Rūta Kate Lasmane and Darja Sopova – in the three-jump.
The pentathlon took place in Birmingham on Friday. With her result in the first pentathlon of the season (4402 p.) And the victory in the conference championship (4308 p.), Our pentathlete was one of the favorites. The first discipline – 60 m hurdles – also showed the desire to get as many points as possible: a repeated personal record (8.54 seconds) and 1008 points. However, the following starts were more modest: 1.69 m in high jump (1.77 m this year), 11.57 m in ball shooting (12.47 m this year) and 5.88 m in long jump (6.10 m this year). Blaževiča finished her third start of the season in pentathlon with 2: 14.45 minutes in the 800-meter race. The total was 4197 points and the sixth place – a place higher than last year. Blaževics was overtaken by five multi-fighters – all American students. Anna Halla (4586) became the champion, but Ērika Mārša was second with 4383 points.
We remind you that in the previous winter championship Rūta Lasmane won a bronze medal, reaching the Latvian record in the premises (14.15 m), while Kristīne Blaževiča was seventh with the sum of five points (4162).
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, among our 16 best three-jumpers, there will also be two of us from Ventspils – European and world junior medalists Rūta Lasmane and Darja Sopova. One in this rank is fifth (13.85 m) and the other is thirteenth (13.47 m).
Resources used:
Andris Staģis / athletics.lv
