Jones within striking distance of 6,000-point barrier and USC heptathlon program record after four-event total of 3,779 points, with Hawkins, Kunz and Eikeng all within 70 points; Garland (4,507) sets NCAA decathlon shot put record of 55-0.25 (16.77m), with Williams (4,471) second at midway point

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

WALNUT, Calif. – Moments after stepping off the awards podium March 10 at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships following her recognition for a runner-up finish in the pentathlon, USC graduate student-athlete Allie Jones discussed her motivation for surpassing 6,000 points in the outdoor heptathlon.

Jones didn’t waste any time in that pursuit Wednesday at the 63rd Mt. SAC Relays, improving on her previous-best first-day total by more than 200 points to take the lead in the women’s invitational elite heptathlon after four events with 3,779 points at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

EVENT VIDEOS | RESULTS | PHOTOS by Chuck Aragon

Former U.S. champions and World Athletics Championships qualifiers Chari Hawkins (3,756) and Annie Kunz (3,727) are also in contention, in addition to Washington’s Ida Eikeng, last year’s winner at Mt. SAC, who has 3,709 points.

Georgia’s Kyle Garland, the collegiate decathlon and heptathlon record holder along with the reigning U.S. championship decathlete and NCAA Division 1 indoor heptathlon title holder, leads the invitational elite section at the midway point with 4,507 points.

Garland produced the best all-time shot put mark by a collegiate decathlete with his second-round effort of 55-0.25 (16.77m).

Former Stanford All-American Harrison Williams is second with 4,471 points.

Jones won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-best 13.10 seconds and was victorious in the 200 in 23.43 seconds to bookend a schedule that also saw her place second in the high jump at 5-8.50 (1.74m) and finish fifth in the shot put with a lifetime-best 42-10.25 (13.06m).

Hawkins won the high jump with a 5-9.75 (1.77m) clearance and Kunz triumphed in the shot put with a 51-1 (15.57m) performance.

Eikeng, who prevailed last year with 5,916 points, was second in the shot put at 48-4 (14.73m) and 200 with a 24.03 effort.

Duke graduate and volunteer assistant Erin Marsh (3,587), Vanderbilt All-American Beatrice Juskeviciute (3,548) and former UC Santa Barbara standout Hope Bender (3,543) remain in contention.

Wendy Brown has held the USC heptathlon program record of 6,079 points since 1988. Amalie Iuel, representing Norway, is the only other USC heptathlete to surpass the barrier with 6,011 points in 2016.

Garland also won the long jump with a wind-aided leap of 25-3.25 (7.70m). He achieved the collegiate decathlon record with 8,720 points in Arkansas last year at the U.S. Combined Events Championships.

Williams was second in the long jump with a wind-legal performance of 25-0.50 (7.63m) and runner-up in the shot put at 49-6.25 (15.09m), in addition to winning the 400 meters in 46.47.

Kendrick Thompson is third overall with 4,345 points and fellow Bahamian athlete Ken Mullings is fourth with 4,336 points. Iowa’s Austin West, runner-up last year at Mt. SAC with 8,179 points, is fifth at the midway point with 4,281 points.

Will Daniels, a former NCAA Division 3 champion at Central College who concluded his eligibility at Iowa, leads the collegiate/open section with 4,107 points.