Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye / John Gaines Photography
Katy Stephens finally got the warm weather she was hoping for.
The University of Northern Iowa redshirt senior capitalized on the best weather of the outdoor track and field season to date, setting four personal bests and finishing third in the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Invitational Thursday and Friday at Cougar Athletic Stadium in Azusa, California.
Stephens, a graduate of Notre Dame High School, finished with a personal-best 5,728 points to take third in a field of 66 athletes, one of the biggest multis meets in the country.
“I had a 700-point PR in the heptathlon,” Stephens said. “My coaches think that will get me into nationals for sure. It was nice to have the indoor season to get everything figured out and feeling good about myself. We just had to chase some good weather to finally get it.”
Stephens set PRs in the 100 hurdles, 200-meter dash, long jump and 800-meter run.
Stephens finished seventh in the 100 hurdles in 14.00 seconds, was seventh in the 200 in 24.57, took fourth in the long jump with a best of 6.13 meters (20-1) and 10th in the 800 in 2:24.20.
“I’m starting to figure out the hurdles. I took .03 of my PR from Central. I was hoping to go under 14, but I hit 14,” Stephens said. “I got a one-second PR in the 200. I have been working on my blocks start. I got out fast and then just tried to hang on.
“In the long jump, I moved back two steps and went from 16 steps to 18 steps and that was a huge difference. It gave me more speed and I had a 25-centimeter PR in that. In the 800, I just had to gut it out. I was going for a spot at nationals this spring and I got it.”
Stephens finished second in the high jump, clearing 1.74 meters (5-7 1/4), was fourth in the shot put with a best of 12.03 meters (39-4) and fourth in the javelin throw with a best of 36.47 (119-6).
Stephens said she likely won’t compete in another heptathlon until the Missouri Valley Conference meet May 16-17 at Terre Haute, Indiana.
She said she will compete in some different events at the Drake Relays April 23-25 in Des Moines.
The NCAA West Preliminary meet is set for May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“I’m pretty confident going into the rest of the season,” Stephens said. “My teammate (Joey Perry) is close to qualifying for nationals. We are hoping she can get qualified, too. And Carter (Morton) is close, too, for the men. I hope we can all three go to nationals. I do a lot better when my teammates are there with me.”