Taliyah Brooks wins second heptathlon title in three years, Hunter Veith joins 8,000-point club in decathlon victory

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Georgia junior Denzel Comenentia elevated to the No. 9 performer in collegiate history Thursday with his meet-record hammer throw at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

After already producing a personal best in the second round to inch closer to the 250-foot barrier, Comenentia surpassed it on his fifth attempt by throwing 250-3 (76.29m). The meet record of 246-6 (75.14) by SMU’s Libor Charfreitag had stood since 2000.

Comenentia ascended to the No. 5 performer in the world this year, improving on his own Dutch national record. He still ranks second in Georgia history, trailing Andras Haklits of Croatia and his 2002 record of 260-2 (79.30m).

LSU freshman Jake Norris, the World U20 leader who entered the meet with the top collegiate mark of the season, placed second with a sixth-round throw of 233-2 (71.06m).

It marked the first time Comenentia and Norris squared off during the outdoor season. Comenentia prevailed in their lone meeting indoors, capturing the Southeastern Conference title in the weight throw, with Norris finishing seventh in College Station, Texas.

Wichita State fifth-year senior Hunter Veith became the 47th male athlete in NCAA Division 1 history to surpass the 8,000-point mark in the decathlon, improving on his previous personal best by 180 points.

Veith accumulated 8,046 points in the decathlon to take over the collegiate lead and improve to No. 2 in the world this year. He is the Shockers’ first athlete to join the 8,000-point club.

Although Veith, the Division 1 runner-up in the indoor heptathlon March 10, didn’t win an event Thursday after posting the best marks in the long jump and high jump Wednesday, he was still consistent enough to prevail by 100 points over Kennesaw State’s Solomon Simmons.

Arkansas fifth-year senior Taliyah Brooks became the eighth female athlete in meet history to win multiple heptathlon titles, cruising to victory with 5,946 points. Texas A&M freshman Tyra Gittens was second with 5,700 and Florida freshman Amanda Froeynes placed third with 5,546.

Brooks, who surpassed 5,900 points for the fourth time in her career, elevated to No. 2 in the world this year behind Kansas State sophomore and Canadian standout Nina Schultz, who accumulated 6,018 points last weekend at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio.

Brooks held an 11-point advantage over Gittens after Wednesday, but long jumped 20-8 (6.30m), threw 121-1 (36.91m) in the javelin and ran 2:21.17 in the 800 to build her lead. She finished in the top four in all four career heptathlons at Texas Relays, including second last year to former Mississippi State standout Erica Bougard.

Northern Arizona senior Brooke Andersen, who improved to the No. 6 hammer throw performer in collegiate history with her 232-10 (70.98) opener March 16 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational at Arizona State, secured another victory Thursday.

Although Andersen managed only two fair throws in her series, her fourth-round effort of 225-2 (68.63m) was more than enough to win.

Clemson sophomore Logan Morris (10:11.02) and Texas junior Meghan Lloyd (10:13.35) ran the two fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase times of the collegiate season, as well as the top two marks by Americans this year.

Texas sophomore John Rice won the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:46.52.

Former Longhorns standout and Austin resident Allison Mendez-Cleaver, 29, who recently completed her nursing degree at the Texas Health Science Center and competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, won the women’s 5,000 in 16:21. Georgia sophomore Samantha Drop was second in 16:31.42.

Georgia senior Eric Westog won the men’s 5,000 in 14:19.12, ahead of Texas freshman Connor O’Neill in 14:21.53, and Bulldogs junior Jeramey Hampton won the men’s 800 in 1:48.39.