Theisen Leads and other news

Brianne Theisen sets World leading mark at Pac-12 Championships

Brianne Theisen

At the PAC-12 Championships in Eugene, Oregon Brianne Theisen of Humboldt, Sask., set the world leading mark and hit the Olympic A+ standard with a performance of 6353-points in the seven event heptathlon discipline.  “I’m on top of the world right now,” said Theisen. “I did everything I wanted to do, and I’m so happy. All I cared about was the Olympics, so doing that was the greatest thing in the world. I didn’t even care that it was (6,353), as long as it was 6,150 (the Olympic A standard)”.

The performance by the six-time NCAA champion is the third best in collegiate history, a Pac-12 record and places her second on the all-time Canadian list behind Jessica Zelinka’s 2008 Olympic Games score of 6490-points.  “It’s such a relief. I think any athlete can understand that. I have one thing yet to do, which I think will be easier than this meet, and I’m going to the Olympics, so I’m really excited.”  That one thing left to do in order to book her ticket to London is finishing top three at the Track and Field Trials June 27 to 30 in Calgary.

Brianne’s performance dissected

Day 1 – Saturday May 5
100-metre hurdles – 13.50 – 1050 points
High jump – 1.83m – 1016 points
Shot put – 12.61m – 702 points
200-metres – 23.90 – 990 points

Day 1 total: 3758

Day 2 – Sunday May 6
Long jump – 6.24m – 924 points
Javelin – 44.29m – 750 points
800m – 2:12.99 – 921 points

Day 2 total: 6353

Trio of Canadian hurdlers dip below 12.90 on the same day

Saturday might be alright for fighting; apparently it’s also alright for hurdling.  Three hurdlers dipped below 12.90 seconds at two separate competitions.  In Kingston, Jamaica Priscilla Lopes- Schliep of Whitby, Ont., finished second in an Olympic A+ standard time of 12.64 seconds.  That performance would be impressive for any hurdler, even more so for Priscilla who was making her second appearance in a competition since September 2010.

In St. Maarten’s birthday day girl Nikkita Holder of Pickering, Ont., and Phylicia George Markham, Ont., both went under the Olympic A standard finishing in 12.84 and 12.87 seconds respectively.

Other Olympic standards on the weekend

In Brazil Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., finished in fifth place in the men’s 200-metres. Connaughton’s time of 20.54 seconds marks his second Olympic A standard.  Jared now needs to finish in the top three at the Trials in Calgary to confirm his place on the Olympic team.

Daniel Harper of Brampton, Ont., registered an Olympic B standard in the 400-metres at the Texas Tech Red Raider Open in Lubbock, Texas.  Harper finished fifth in a time of 45.60 seconds.

Hammer thrower Heather Steacy of Lethbridge, Alta., finished first with an Olympic B standard at the Tom Gage Last Chance Meet in Missoula, Montana.  Steacy’s toss of 71.26-metres fell just centimeters short of the A+ standard of 71.50-metres.