Lady Mustangs Compete in Pentathlon

– Allison Goldsberry

Two Lady Mustang track athletes took a on challenge that very few choose- competing in five events in one day.

Junior Lauren Walsh and freshman Tricia Healion competed on Tuesday in the state Pentathlon Championship at the Reggie Lewis Track Center in Boston with nearly sixty other athletes. According to Girls Track Coach Jack Dempsey, the pentathlon is comprised of five track and field events- 55 Meter Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump, Shot Put and 800 Meter Run- that must be completed in the same day to determine the winner. Scoring is based upon points awarded for athletic achievement in each event- for example, winning a heat of the 800 Meter Run or throwing the shot put further than others.

Walsh completed her “outstanding” indoor track season by placing 18th overall, with a total of 2,244 points, while Healion finished “a very credible 44th,” with 1,658 points, said Coach Dempsey.

Competing for the first time in the Long Jump, Walsh leaped an impressive fifteen feet, four inches to place her 7th overall among all competitors. She finished 21st in the High Jump at 4’6″, which equals her season’s best performance. Walsh won her heat of the 800 Meter Run with a time of two minutes and forty-six seconds, good enough for 20th overall. Healion jumped a personal best in the High Jump with a leap of 4’6″, tying Walsh for 21st place. She earned 26th place in the Long Jump with a leap of 13’7″. Healion also ran a strong 800M race with a time of 3:01.