AZUSA, Calif. – Senior Shelby Bozner added to her status as one of Chadron State College’s all-time outstanding track and field athletes Wednesday and Thursday by scoring 5,313 points and placing 10th among 49 entries in the heptathlon at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays hosted by Azusa Pacific University.
Bozner’s points easily exceed the 5,180 that are required to automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships in May. She also broke the Chadron State record of 5,151 that Caryn Martin set as a senior in 1993, when she finished second in the heptathlon at the NAIA National Meet.
Bozner’s previous high was 4,998 points, which she scored a year ago while finishing 12th during the Eagles’ California trip. Both last year and this year, everyone placing above her is from a major college or has completed her college eligibility and is now on the professional circuit.
The winner Thursday was Annie Kunz of Texas A&M with 5,904 points.
A native of Rock Springs, Wyoming, Bozner won the silver medal in the pentathlon at the DII National Indoor Championships in February. The pentathlon has five events and the heptathlon has seven.
Four of Bozner’s marks the past two days were personal-bests. They were in the 100-meter high hurdles, where she finished fifth in 14.14 seconds; the 200 dash, sixth in 25.02 seconds; the 800, third in 2:15.41; and the javelin, 10th at 115 feet, 10 inches.
She also matched her career best of 5-4 ½ in the high jump. Her other marks were shot put, 36-9 ¾, and long jump, 17-1 ¾.
Two more Chadron State women also competed in the Mt SAC Relays heptathlon. Kelsy Wood of Hemingford was 29th with 4,690 points and Sami Schmit of Cody, Neb., was 32nd with 4,624 points.
Their point totals easily exceed the NCAA II national meet provisional qualifying standard of 4,442 points.
The heptathlon competition was the first for any of the 40 Chadron State track and field athletes who are in California. The other team members were to begin competing Thursday evening in the Bryan Clay Invitational Meet at Azusa Pacific University and also are entered in two other meets Friday and Saturday.
This is the fifth year the Eagles have competed in California in April to help them get ready for the conference championships that will be in early May.
