Gittens eclipses own Trinidad and Tobago national record with 4,612 points at Texas Tech Invitational, highlighted by 6-3.25 (1.91m) high jump clearance; Hall now No. 9 all-time U.S. performer with 4,590 points at Razorback Invitational, capped by 2:08.19 800 meters, which ranks second in NCAA pentathlon history

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

They started the day 560 miles apart and concluded their respective competitions Friday separated by only 22 points.

But the pentathlon performances produced by Texas A&M senior Tyra Gittens and Georgia sophomore Anna Hall was the greatest one-day showcase in the women’s multi-events since the 2015 Division 1 Indoor Championships, and resulted in them both ascending into the top four competitors in NCAA history.

Gittens elevated to the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer with 4,612 points at the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock, improving her own national record for Trinidad and Tobago.

Hall found herself right behind as the No. 4 competitor in collegiate indoor history with 4,590 points at the Razorback Invitational at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., in addition to soaring to the No. 9 all-time U.S. indoor performer.

Gittens ascended from the No. 23 athlete after accumulating 4,391 points at last year’s Southeastern Conference Championships at Texas A&M. Hall, second at last year’s SEC final, elevated from No. 69 in collegiate history after scoring 4,202 points at last year’s Razorback Invitational.

Their performances rank seventh and ninth on the NCAA all-time list, with four-time national pentathlon champion Kendell Williams of Georgia — who set the collegiate record of 4,703 points in 2016 — responsible for seven of the top 10 indoor marks in collegiate history.

Williams is fifth among competitors in American indoor history, in addition to being the No. 45 all-time pentathlon performer in the world. Gittens improved Friday to No. 80 and Hall to No. 85.

Gittens was bolstered by a lifetime-best clearance of 6-3.25 (1.91m) in the high jump, the fifth-highest effort in collegiate pentathlon history, along with a leap of 21-7.25 (6.58m) in the long jump. Those two events helped her compile 2,152 points, which came after opening her competition with a personal-best 8.33 in the 60-meter hurdles, an effort worth 1,055 points.

Gittens added a 42-5.50 (12.94m) in the shot put and concluded her day by running 2:30.86 in the 800 meters.

Hall capped her competition by running 2:08.19, the second-fastest 800 in NCAA pentathlon history, trailing only the 2:06.88 achieved in 2016 by former USC All-American and Norwegian professional athlete Amalie Iuel. It was also the second-fastest time of Hall’s collegiate career, behind only the 2:07.91 she ran Jan. 23 at the Carolina Challenge.

Hall also cleared 6-1.25 (1.86m) in the high jump, matching her career best from Jan. 16 at the Clemson Invite. She added an 8.48 in the 60 hurdles, 40-2.75 (12.26m) in the shot put and collegiate-best 19-8 (5.99m) in the long jump.

Williams and 2016 Division 1 indoor high jump winner Akela Jones of Kansas State (4,643) are the only athletes ahead of Gittens and Hall among all-time NCAA competitors.

Only twice in collegiate history have a pair of athletes both scored more than 4,550 points in the same day, at the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Division 1 Championships, with each competition highlighting Williams and Mississippi State’s Erica Bougard, who now ranks No. 5 all-time at 4,586 points.

Oregon sophomore and Swiss athlete Mathilde Rey produced a personal-best 4,182 points at the Razorback Invitational to move from the No. 99 competitor in collegiate history to No. 82.

Texas freshman Kristine Blazevica, representing Latvia, was second to Gittens with 4,057 points.