McMullen Shatters School Record

SPOKANE, Wash. – Colorado track and field sophomore Avery McMullen shattered the school record in the women's pentathlon here Thursday at the WSU Combined Events Open and Invitational with a winning mark of 4,231 points.
 
McMullen's mark broke the previous school record held by Annette Tannander since 1983 by exactly 160 points. The sophomore posted three personal bests within the five events and now ranks third in the NCAA.
 
McMullen started things off dominating the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.38 seconds, just a hundredth of a second off the personal best she set last week. She crushed the field, winning by more than three-tenths of a second for more than 1,000 points.
 
Following the hurdles, McMullen took early command of the high jump with first attempt clearances on her first four heights. She had the meet won at 1.74 meters (5-8.5), then took it to a new level clearing 1.77 meters (5-9.75) on her second attempt for a new personal best. The mark moves her out of a tie for eighth in school history in the event and into sole possession of eighth. She earned nearly another 1,000 points here with a 941 point mark.
 
The shot put saw McMullen post a five-centimeter personal best at 11.80 meters (38-08.75) on her second toss, good for third in the competition.
 
Moving to arguably her best event, McMullen jumped 6.02 meters (19-9) in the long jump to win the event. She was just two centimeters off her personal best but now has cleared the six-meter mark in all three meets that she has jumped in this season.
 
Pulled by a strong field, McMullen finished off the amazing performance with a fifth place mark in the 800 in 2:26.15 seconds, more than a half a second better than her previous best.
 
With the record and the mark over 4,200, McMullen has all but secured her spot in the NCAA Championship. In the past five years, it has taken on average 4060 points with three of those years between 4071 and 4082. Her mark would've scored fifth at last year's NCAA Championships.
 
Also in competition today was Jada Green who finished sixth overall with a mark of 3,573 points. Green placed second in the shot put and fourth in the hurdles. Nick Bianco sits in fifth after the first day of the men's heptathlon with his strongest event remaining in the pole vault, while John Swabik is in seventh after day one of his first collegiate heptathlon.
 
Things heat up tomorrow with the conclusion of the heptathlon as well as the rest of the team beginning competition at the WSU Combined Events Open and Invitational.