Anna Hall Crushes National High School  Heptathlon Record

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Valor Christian CO junior Anna Hall smashed the national high school record in the girls heptathlon Friday at the 43rd annual Great Southwest Track and Field Classic at University of New Mexico Stadium in Albuquerque.

Hall accumulated 5,798 points during the two-day competition to eclipse the 2012 mark of 5,578 set by Kell GA standout Kendell Williams at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Hall, 17, punctuated the record by winning the 800 meters in a lifetime-best 2:17.18, which helped her surpass the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee and elevate to the No. 2 all-time American U20 performer. Williams set the U.S. U20 record of 6,018 points in 2014 while competing at Georgia.

Hall was five points in front of Williams’ prep record pace following Thursday’s competition with 3,478 points.

Hall, who ascended to the No. 7 world U20 performer this year, won the long jump with a wind-legal leap of 19-10.75 (6.06m) and added another personal best by throwing the javelin 118-0 (35.96m) to move ahead of Williams’ pace by nearly 100 points entering the final event. She needed only to run 2:34 in the 800 to take down Williams’ mark.

Ryann Krais of Methacton PA, the No. 5 all-time prep performer, had held the meet record of 5,522 points since 2008.

Sterling Lester of Marietta GA, who entered the competition as the national prep leader at 5,288 points, took second with 5,270, just shy of her record performance April 6-7 at the Arcadia Multis following a 2:17.84 effort in the 800.

Hall had prevailed against Lester by a 4,054 to 3,976 margin March 10 in the New Balance Nationals Indoor pentathlon to defend her title. Their scores were the second- and third-highest all-time by high school performers, trailing only Williams’ 2013 national record of 4,068 points.

Isaiah Martin from Hillsboro MO won the boys decathlon with 6,946 points. Martin's best event was the 110-meter hurdles, where he ran 14.33 seconds to lead the field and score 932 points. Peyton Davis from Centralia MO was second with 6,877 points.