Different Days At The MIAC Heptathlon

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (5/5/16)—Mikayla Forness and Anna Skow-Anderson had completely different days in the first four events of the MIAC heptathlon held at Carleton.

Forness was the picture of consistency as she scored between 558 and 680 points in all four events. On the other side of the multi-event coin was Skow-Anderson who had a terrible crash in her very first event but then battled back through the final three events.

Forness finished the day with 2,551 points which was good for fifth place. Forness is 218 points ahead of her pace from last year at the conference heptathlon event where she finished third. Forness is currently only 120 points behind second place heading into Day 2 which has always been her stongest of the two-day competition.

Skow-Anderson had a spectacular crash on the ninth hurdle in the 100-meter hurdles, the very first event of the day, and had to pull herself up and walk over the final hurdle in order to finish the event. She only earned 1 point in the event. Skow-Anderson's season best in the 100-meter hurdles was 18.39 which would have given her around 400 points.

Skow-Anderson would finish the day in 11th place with 1,839 points. An extra 400 points she would have received if she hadn't fallen in the hurdles would have pushed her into eighth place.

Forness' best event of Day 1 was 100-meter hurdles where she clocked a 16.28 and collected 680 points. Her time was a season best by .42 of a second. Forness scored 669 points in the 200 meters and 644 in the high jump. She came across the line in a time of 27.52 in the 200 meters and cleared a height of 4-11.75 in the high jump.

Skow-Anderson's best event on a tough Day 1 was the very next event after her crash in the hurdles. She fought through the pain and was able to clear 4-11.75 in the high jump to come away with 644 points. She also scored over 600 points in the final event – the 200 meters. She put up a time of 28.24 which earned her 612 points.

The two Cobbers will finish off the heptathlon on Friday at Carleton when they compete in the long jump, javelin and 800 meters. Forness owns the best javelin mark of any athlete in the MIA this season and is poised to qualify for nationals in the event.