Fred Wilt Results | Iowa State Classic Results
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Chukwuebuka Enekwechi came within 3.25 inches of the NCAA Division I weight throw record on Friday at Lambert Fieldhouse on the first day of the Fred Wilt Invitational. Enekwechi won the competition with a fieldhouse record and school record throw of 24.39m (80-00.25).
Enekwechi opened with a mark of 23.13m (75-10.75), a distance that is better than all but two other throwers in the country, but nearly a full meter, more than three feet, behind his season best. His second attempt was his big one. There, he launched a throw of 24.39m (80-00.25), which was just 8 cm (3.25 inches) shy of the NCAA Division I record, and current NCAA and Big Ten leader Michael Lihrman of Wisconsin. Enekwechi shattered his own previous fieldhouse record, which was 23.32m (76-6.00) from earlier this season, and bettered his school record by one foot, one and three quarters of an inch.
Enekwechi, a junior, becomes just the second division I men's thrower, also Lihrman, to record a mark of 80 feet or better. The two have distanced themselves from the rest of the NCAA field thus far in the season, as only one other thrower has a mark of 23 meters (75-5.50) or better, and just two more even have a throw of 22 meters (72-2.25) or better. With just one meet left before the Big Ten Championships, the two are setting up what looks to be an exciting showdown in Geneva, Ohio, as the two best throwers in division I history look to square off for the first time this season.
Elsewhere in action at the Fred Wilt, Kayla Zink threw a PR in the women's weight throw with a mark of 17.76m (58-3.25). Zink finished sixth in the competition as the Boilermakers' top competitor. In the men's pole vault, Byron Ferrell tied for second after clearing his highest bar of the season. Ferrell cleared 5.02m (16-5.50) on his second attempt, before narrowly missing 5.17m (16-11.50).
Moussa Conde and Tim Deal were busy with the first four events of the heptathlon. The freshmen started with the 60m dash, where Deal took the top overall spot with a personal best time of 7.02 seconds, worth 875 points. Conde had a heptathlon PR in the event, and tied his overall 60m dash season best, with a time of 7.04 seconds, worth 868 points.
Deal and Conde also went 1-2 in the long jump with Deal again edging his classmate. Deal leapt 6.42m (21-0.75) on his first attempt, worth 679 points, while Conde leapt 6.41m (21-0.25) to earn 677. Conde's distance was a season best. Deal won his third event in a row with the shot put. There, he had a best of 11.72m (38-5.50), which came on his second attempt. The distance was worth 589 points. Conde took fourth with a season best distance of 10.42m (34-2.25), worth 511 points. Deal made it a perfect day, in terms of top place finishes, as he wrapped up Friday's action with a win in the high jump. There, he cleared 1.90m (6-2.75), worth 714 points. It was his first attempt at the high jump this season. Conde took third in the event after clearing 1.84m (6-0.50), worth 661 points. Through four events, Deal leads with 2,857 points, while Conde is second with 2,717. Conde has competed in the heptathlon one other time this season, when he recorded the third-highest point total in school history with 5,167 points. That day, he had 2,699 points through the same four events.
Addison Hall also competed Friday for the Boilermakers. She finished second in the pentathlon with 3,543 points. She had PRs in all five events, which led to her breaking her best pentathlon score by 348 points.
A handful of other Boilermakers competed at the Iowa State Classic on Friday. Sharise Lund had an indoor PR in the 5k with a time of 16:59.16 to take 33rd. Matthew McClintock was 28th in the men's 5k with a time of 14:20.08, while Caleb Kerr was just behind him with in 14:22.73, an indoor PR. Tate Schienbein also had a PR in the event, crossing the line in 14:36.94.
The Boilermakers begin day two of the Fred Wilt Invitational at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Lambert Fieldhouse. Action is set to begin with the heptathlon 60m hurdles and the women's high jump. Running events will begin at 11:30.