ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Tanya Vassar earned all-conference status at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference multi-event championships on Sunday.
The senior from Cheyenne, Wyo., finished second in the women's pentathlon with 3,208 points. Paige Pollard of Wayne State won the the pentathlon with 3,277 points. The top three finishers in the event earn all-conference status.
“She has placed in the multis both in the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon,” Northern State coach Jim Fuller said, “but she hasn't been all-conference in them. So I'm very, very pleased about that and it is her personal best.”
Vassar tied with Angela Walhovd of St. Cloud State with the best mark in the high jump with 5-3, which earned both athletes 736 points.
“She had a really good day in the high jump,” Fuller said. “That is what got her over the hump without question. I think it tied or just slightly broke her personal best. That was really a good thing. The high jump was went really well for her.”
Vassar was in third place entering the 800-meter run, the last event of the day. Vassar covered the distance in two minutes, 33.88 seconds and earned 645 points to spring board her to second place.
Vassar's 60-meter hurdle time was a season best and just shy of her personal best in the event. Her 800-meter run was also a season best.
“It was just a really solid day,” Fuller said. “There were probably four solid events and that high jump was a real good one.”
With her second place finish, Vassar earned eight points that will go towards the NSU women's point total at the conference meet in two weeks in Bemidji, Minn.
The two-day men's heptathlon also began on Sunday. Laquone Robinson of Minnesota State-Moorhead leads after the first day with 2,855 points. NSU's Austin Suther is in 12th place with 2,412 points, while Northern's Shea McClanahan is in 18th place with 1,997 points.
“It was a good first day,” Fuller said. “Not a great first day, but again no big disasters in there. The men's field is really close.”
The heptathlon will continue at 10 a.m. today with the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000-meter run.
“Austin has been improving in his hurdling a lot,” Fuller said. “I will be anxious to watch him hurdle. He is improving on his vault too. He is not a great vaulter, but he is getting better. His 1,000 will be a good event for him.”
It is McClanahan's first time competing in the heptathlon.
“He is learning and he is making his way through it,” Fuller said. “Like any other freshman it is a pretty tough field when you are a looking at a conference meet anyway. Competing two days in a row will be a whole new experience for him. He just needs to get out there and do it.”
Northern State Athletes
Women's Pentathlon
2, Tanya Vassar, 3,208 points: 60-meter hurdles, :09.75, 759 points; high jump, 5-3, 736 points; shot put, 33-7 , 546 points; long jump, 15-11 , 522 points; 800-meter run, 2:33.88, 645 points.
Men's Heptathlon
12, Austin Suther, 2,412 points: 60-meter dash, :07.34, 765 points; long jump, 20-9, 657 points; shot put, 32-9 , 486 points; high jump, 5-5, 504 points.
18, Shea McClanahan, 1,997 points: 60-meter dash: :07.48, 719 points; long jump, 17-10 , 469 points; shot put, 26-8 , 375 points; high jump, 5-1 , 434 points.
