Wisconsin Badgers
Mt. SAC Relays / California Invitational Heptathlon
Soceka claims hepathlon title, teammates grab top-10 finishes
April 16, 2010 | Women's Track & Field
April 16, 2010
MADISON, Wis. -- It’s been nearly two years since Jenny Soceka competed in a heptathlon.
You would never know it after the performance she capped off Thursday in at the California Invitational.
Another strong showing on the meet’s second day capped off a personal-best score of 4,971 points that earned Soceka a win in the meet in Azusa, Calif.
Already with two victories and a runner-up finish in the pole vault this outdoor season, Soceka didn’t skip a beat while competing in the multi-events.
The event leader through the four events contested Wednesday, Soceka started off the second day of competition by recording a leap of 18 feet, 4 1/4 inches in the long jump.
She then threw a personal-best 95 feet in the javelin before concluding the competition by clocking a personal-best time of 2:30.38 in the 800 meters.
Redshirt freshman Dorcas Akinniyi and sophomore Jessica Flax also represented Wisconsin on Thursday, as the duo competed in the Mt. SAC Relays Multi-Events heptathlon.
Akinniyi finished sixth overall with a score of 5,245 points. Flax locked up 10th place in the standings by scoring 5,155 points.
Flax’s strongest performance occurred in the javelin, where she threw for 122-2, a personal-best mark by nearly 11 feet.
Keeping up her momentum and streak of personal-bests from Wednesday, Akinniyi recorded a mark of 100-11, her longest-ever throw in the javelin.
In the long jump, Akinniyi recorded the seventh-longest leap in the field, a mark of 18 feet, 4 1/4 inches. Flax followed her teammate after notching a leap of 17-7 in the event.
Moving onto the track for the final event of the seven-event competition, the 800 meters, Flax clocked a personal-best time of 2:18.39.
Akinniyi ran a time of 2:23.99 to conclude her first-ever outdoor heptathlon for the Badgers. She redshirted the 2009 outdoor season before claiming the Big Ten Conference title and earning All-America honors in the indoor pentathlon in March.
In addition to the multi-events competitions that concluded in Azusa, Calif., on Thursday, the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays got underway at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in nearby Walnut.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Wisconsin senior Karen Greuel ran a personal-best time of 10:57.89 to claim a 19th-place finish.
Junior Karlye Wolff also competed in the steeplechase and ran a personal-best as well, crossing the line in 10:59.05 to finish 20th.
Wisconsin continues competition on the West Coast with a number of other Badgers participating in the Mt. SAC Relays on Friday and Saturday in Walnut, Calif.
The Badgers are also sending a limited number of athletes to take part in the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa on Friday.
