Bougard captures first professional pentathlon national title

Mississippi State graduate, 2013 NCAA indoor champion relies on personal-best high jump to prevail against Day-Monroe and injured Nwaba in Albuquerque

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

ALBUQUERQUE – Barbara Nwaba was the defending champion and Sharon Day-Monroe has more indoor pentathlon national titles than any American female athlete.

Even Georgia senior Kendell Williams had boasted the top score in the world this year until three women eclipsed 4,700 points Friday at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Former Mississippi State star Erica Bougard demonstrated she wants to be part of that elite group of multi-event athletes Friday at the USATF Indoor Championships, winning her first pentathlon title as a professional with 4,558 points at Albuquerque Convention Center.

“I’ve been competing against her and I’ve always been third place, fourth or fifth all the time. This year, I really wanted it. I wanted to make a change," said Bougard, who came close to matching her personal-best 4,586 points when she placed runner-up to Williams at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships.

“I really practice a lot and I work hard at it. As you can tell, the results show that I’ve actually been working to be the best.”

Bougard won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.21 seconds and relied on a personal-best clearance of 6 feet, 1.50 inches (1.87m) in the high jump to build a 121-point lead over Nwaba after two events. Once Nwaba withdrew from the competition after the shot put because of soreness in her knee, the battle came down to Bougard and four-time champion Day-Monroe.

“I just wish Barbara was better so I could fully compete against her,” said Bougard, the 2013 NCAA pentathlon champion. “She’s been in first the past two years and I just really wanted to compete against her all the way through and earn my own title.”

Day-Monroe cut the deficit to 65 points after the shot put. But Bougard had a leap of 20-3.50 (6.18m) in the long jump compared to 19-2.50 (5.85m) for Day-Monroe to add another 101 points to her advantage entering the 800 meters.

Day-Monroe edged Bougard 2:17.55 to 2:18.41 in the final event, but only made up 12 points on the leader and finished second with 4,404 points.

“This is only my third meet of the year and first pentathlon, so just working things out and trying to tune up for London. That’s the ultimate goal for this season,” said Day-Monroe, who won four consecutive indoor titles from 2012-15.

“I was really happy with my 800 because I finished really strong ... I know I can definitely run faster than that and early season running under 2:20 is always good. I was kind of happy with my long jump, especially coming back after two not great jumps and getting a better jump on the third attempt, so that’s moving in the right direction.”

Although Nwaba and Santa Barbara Track Club teammate Lindsay Schwartz didn’t finish the competition, six women still scored more than 4,000 points, matching the total from last year’s event.

Former Wisconsin standout Japheth Cato established the lead after the first day of the men’s heptathlon, relying on a 6-11 clearance (2.11m) in the high jump to finish the fourth event with 3,189 points.

Wichita State graduate Austin Bahner, who held the advantage following the shot put, is second with 3,149 points.