Hall Proves She Belongs With Elite Women With Third Place, High School Record In Pentathlon

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Before the 800 meters, the final event of the women’s pentathlon Friday at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, Valor Christian CO coach Brian Kula asked Anna Hall to reflect on all the hard work she had put in to get to this point.

Hall was poised for something big. All she needed to do was run a pedestrian (for her) 2:35 to break Kendell Williams’ 2013 national high school record (4,068 points).

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“There was a day a while back where we had three inches of snow on the ground and she did a workout on the track, by herself, as the sun was going down,” Kula said.

Competing for the first time against older, post-collegiate athletes, including Williams, a 2016 Olympian, Hall won the 800 meters in 2:16.11 and crushed the national high school record by more than 200 points with a total of 4,302. She finished third in the competition.

Hall, who will attend Georgia starting next fall, would be ranked No. 4 collegiately, as well as No. 3 on the World U-20 list this year with that total. Hall’s effort elevated her to the No. 2 all-time American U-20 performer and 17th in World U-20 history. 

“I was coming in here to prove to myself that I belong out here with them,” Hall said of the professionals. “To win a medal is exciting and it shows that the hard work is paying off.”

One of the best moments on the first day of competition at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships came when the pentathlon high jump boiled down to just two – Hall and Williams, a former NCAA champion and Georgia star.

Hall jumped an indoor PR of 5-11.25 (1.81m) and won the competition on fewer misses, although she and Williams collected the same 991 points.

“(I was impressed by) her intensity,” Williams said. “I hadn’t seen her compete before. I met her on her visit to Georgia, so I knew she was a great person. And I saw her numbers, so I knew she was a great athlete. But seeing her was so much fun. We were cheering each other on in the high jump.”

Hall and Williams figure to become training partners later this year. Georgia coach, Petros Kyprianou, continues to coach Williams.

“It’s almost scary knowing how much she’s going to improve with Petros,” Williams said. “I’m glad I get a front row seat to see it.”

Hall, representing FK Elite, intends to come back to New York in two weeks and compete in the pentathlon and high jump at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory.

Truth be told, Hall was targeting 4,400 points Friday. (Williams scored 4,496 to win her first U.S. indoor title).

“I stumbled out of the blocks in the hurdles, so there is a PR waiting there, and I need to dial in the long jump,” she said. “My PR is high 19s, so mid-18s is not acceptable.”

Hall began the day with a near personal best 8.59 seconds clocking in the 60-meter hurdles, the ninth-fastest time in the competition. After the high jump, she muscled the shot 12.71m (41-8.50), a little shy of her best this winter. Her long jump best of 18-4.50 (5.60m) wasn’t what she wanted, but it put her in position to take down the record.

After a conservative start to the 800, Hall took the lead and ran away from the field and cruised to a three-second victory.

Williams was the top scorer in the 60 hurdles (8.18) and the long jump (20-10/6.35m).

She rated her day a “C-plus.”

“I think that’s how a lot of girls in the field were feeling – shaking off the cobwebs,” Williams said. “Who’s in shape without being in that-good-of-shape, because the year is so long.”

In the women’s weight throw, former Ole Miss standout Janeah Stewart marked the occasion of her first professional meet by winning the U.S. indoor title with a mark of 81-5.50 (24.80m).

“It’s amazing,” Stewart said. “I wouldn’t have expected it because I knew it would be hard competing against DeAnna (Price), so getting the victory is an amazing feeling.”

Price, who lamented her “T-Rex” arms and how they hinder her potential in the indoor event, is focused on big things later this year in the hammer.

Still, it was Price who had the lead after three attempts. And on her sixth throw she got a best of the day 80-5.50 (24.52m) measurement that was just five centimeters off her lifetime best.

“The basic thing (adjustment) was to stop being nervous,” said Stewart, who got her winning throw in the fourth round. “My third throw of the prelims, I felt like I can breathe now and the fourth one felt I could just go after it.”

Daniel Haugh, who still has outdoor eligibility in the spring for the University of Alabama, won the men’s weight throw title.

“I had a great series. Every throw was like 76 (feet), 76, 76,” Haugh said. “I knew I was missing some tension in the throw. Coach told me to have fun, so I went to do it again, tried a little harder on the fourth turn and it worked out.”

Haugh has made a transition from three turns to four in order to generate a bit more power.

“I’m probably the weakest guy in the field, but four-turning creates a lot of power,” he said. “This year I’m strong enough to hold four turns.”

Haugh moved up from third to first on his final throw, which traveled 79-1.75 (24.12m) for a lifetime best.

Conor McCullough finished second with 78-8.25 (23.98m).

Alex Bloom holds a 39-point lead over Tim Ehrhardt in the men’s heptathlon through four of the seven events. A big win in the high jump with 6-11 (2.11m) staked Bloom out to the first day lead with 3,270 points.

Ehrhardt, however, owns superior PRs in the remaining three events – the 60 hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.  Ehrhardt was solid throughout the day and has 3,231 points.

Solomon Simmons, who threw five feet beyond the rest of the field in the shot put (50-8.50/15.45m) is in contact still with 3,213 points.