Veith could surpass 8,000 points, Brooks seeking second title at 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Fifth-year seniors Taliyah Brooks of Arkansas and Hunter Veith of Wichita State are the respective first-day leaders of the heptathlon and decathlon at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

Relying on victories in the long jump with a 25-6.25 (7.78m) leap and high jump with a 6-10.75 (2.10m) clearance, Veith accumulated 4,398 points – more than 150 points better than his previous best opening-day effort – to put him on pace to eclipse the 8,000-point barrier Thursday. Rice senior Scott Filip is second with 4,286 points.

Veith, the NCAA indoor runner-up in the heptathlon March 9-10 in College Station, Texas, placed sixth in the decathlon at last year’s Division 1 Outdoor Championships with 7,866 points.

Brooks had to win the 200 meters in 23.99 seconds in order to move ahead of Texas A&M freshman Tyra Gittens for a 3,587 to 3,576 advantage following four events in the heptathlon.

Brooks also won the 100 hurdles in 13.28, but Gittens placed in the top three in three events and fifth in the shot put to keep pace against the 2016 Texas Relays heptathlon winner.

Brooks, the reigning NCAA indoor pentathlon champion, is looking to surpass 6,000 points in the heptathlon for the third time in her career. But she is more than 100 points behind pace from where she was last year at both the Texas Relays and Southeastern Conference Championships.

Brooks, the American outdoor leader this year in the long jump at 22-3 (6.78m), is attempting to become the eighth female athlete with multiple heptathlon victories in Texas Relays history. She needs only 5,800 points to qualify for the Division 1 Outdoor Championships in June.