Montana
NCAA Championships
Emry 11th after opening day at nationals
3/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
March 14, 2014
Montana senior Austin Emry scored 3,133 points Friday and is in 11th place after the opening day of the heptathlon at the NCAA indoor national championships at Albuquerque, N.M.
Emry, who scored 3,255 first-day points two weeks ago while winning the heptathlon at the Big Sky Conference indoor championships, is 42 points out eighth place. The top eight after Saturday's final three events earn first-team All-America honors.
Emry placed 12th at indoor nationals a year ago.
"Overall it was a pretty solid first day," said UM coach Brian Schweyen. "At nationals you'd like to see a PR or two, but he was solid."
Emry finished ninth or lower in the 16-athlete field in Friday's first three events before tying for sixth in the high jump at 6-8 to end his day in 11th. He went 7.19 in the 60 meters, 23-4 in the long jump and 41-6 in the shot put.
"(Because this is his second time at nationals) we expected him to come in and be excited and pretty confident. We thought he could be a dark horse and surprise some people," Schweyen said.
"And maybe because of that he was trying too hard. He didn't quite seem like himself those first few events, but then he finally relaxed in the high jump."
The heptathlon's three leaders all broke 3,300 points Friday. Georgia sophomore Maicel Uibo, who finished fourth last year, was top five in three of the day's four events and scored 3,358 points.
Arkansas senior Kevin Lazas, the defending champion, is second with 3,315 points. Duke senior Curtis Beach scored 3,310 points and is sitting third.
The heptathletes will compete Saturday in the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.
"For Austin to move up, he'll have to PR in the hurdles and have one of the best times in that race, PR in the vault and then dig deep and run through the pain in the 1,000," Schweyen said.
Players Mentioned
