Eikeng Takes Silver In NCAA Heptathlon

EUGENE, Ore. – Ida Eikeng brought the 2022 Husky track and field season to a thrilling close today at Hayward Field, putting every last ounce of energy into getting over the finish line of her 800-meter run and earning NCAA runner-up status for the effort. Fifth in the heptathlon a year ago, Eikeng battled her way up to second this year, best finish ever by a Husky, and it helped the UW women’s team grab a Top-25 finish at nationals.
 
Eikeng’s new silver hardware equaled eight team points for the women’s team, and added to Haley Herberg’s two points from the 10k, the Huskies finished with ten, which put them in a tie for 25th-place as the season concluded today. The Husky men’s team tied for 12th on Friday, thus the Huskies achieved a pair of Top-25 finishes at NCAA Outdoors for the first time since 2009.
 
The native of Porsgrunn, Norway, broke her own school record today, totaling 5,939 points, bettering the mark she set a year ago at the same meet by 19 points. Eikeng is now a two-time First Team All-American, and her runner-up finish is the best by a Husky woman at NCAA Outdoors since Katie Flood won the 2012 NCAA title at 1,500-meters.

   

 

Eikeng started the day with a very strong series in the long jump. She opened at 18-5, but then improved that to 19-1 on her second attempt. She added a crucial five inches on her third, going 19-6 ¾ to take sixth overall in the event. That put Eikeng up into second-place for the first time, five events in.

 

Moving on the javelin, one of Eikeng’s biggest strengths, she delivered a toss of 152-1 which would be the best of the competition, and solidified her standing in second place behind Florida’s Anna Hall, who had distanced herself well beyond the rest of the field in first.

 

The challenge for Eikeng was to hang on to second going into the final 800-meter run. Chasing her was Duke’s Erin Marsh, a very strong 800-meter runner, while Eikeng’s 800m PR ranked lower in the field. Eikeng completed the two laps in 2:31.65 and fell to the track, spent from the effort. It was enough, as Eikeng held off Marsh by just 10 points in the final standings, which is equivalent to less than one second in the 800-meters.

 

The one other Husky in action today was sophomore Beatrice Asomaning. She wasn’t able to find her footing in the very wet conditions, which kept big throws down for most of the discus field….