Nicole Plante Breaks School Record at SJU Heptathlon! 
COLLEGEVILLE-- Concordia senior track and field sensation Nicole Plante continues to chart a crash course to becoming an All-American. On Monday at the St. John's Heptathlon, she moved one step closer to that goal.

Overall in the competition, she finished second with a total score of 4,576 points. That mark breaks the school record of 4,428 points she set last year at the NCAA National Meet. Her total is also the second best mark recorded in the nation this season. She is only behind Laura Verdegan of UW-Stout who claimed first place at the same competition with a total of 4,802 points.

She also achieved another first as she defeated the reigning MIAC pentathlon champion Ashley Dingels of St. Mary's for the first time in her career. 

One other Concordia athlete competed in the event. Amber Schackman finished seventh with a final score of 3,380 points. 

Plante achieved her record-breaking performance by claiming "personal bests" in the three different events. She bested her previous career performances in the high jump, shot put and 200 meters. Those three events jump-started her performance as they were three of the first four events in the competition. 

She started the event by running 15.90 in the 100-meter hurdles and then put her meet into high gear. She put up "personal bests" in the next three events and stayed within striking distance of Dingels - the MIAC multi-event queen.

She started her run by clearing 5-2.0 in the high jump. She then threw the shot put 33-0.0 and then ended her trio of torrid tasks by running 27.36 in the 200 meters. Those events would set her up for the final three, one of which was Plante's forte - the javelin.

After posting a distance of 16-3.0 in the long jump, she bypassed Dingels and made a bid for the lead by throwing the javelin 128-0.0. Her throw netted her 649 points, which was 251 points better than Dingels and 276 more than eventual-champion Verdegan. 

Plante finished the competition by running a 2:28.79 in the 800 meters. That time was the slowest of the three top finishers but allowed her to stay ahead of Dingels by 146 points.

Plante and Schackman will rejoin the rest of the Cobbers when they compete at the Al Cassell Relays held at Jamestown College on Saturday, April 16 at 11:00am.
 
 

SJU Heptathlon - 4/10-11/2005 
Collegeville, MN
Results 

1.  Laura Verdegan, Wis.-Stout  4802 
 100 meter hurdles 15.69  753
 High Jump          1.77  941
 Shot Put           9.90  523
 200 Meter         27.11  703
 Long Jump          5.58  723
 Javelin           24.49  373
 800 Meter       2:22.78  786

2.  Nicole Plante, Concordia   4576
 100 meter hurdles  15.90  727
 High Jump           1.59  724 
 Shot Put           10.08  535
 200 Meter          27.36  682
 Long Jump           4.97  551
 Javelin            39.02  649
 800 Meter        2:28.79  708

3.  Ashley Dingels, St Mary’s  4430
100 meter hurdles   16.59  644
High Jump            1.71  867
Shot Put            12.02  662
 200 Meter          26.78  730 
 Long Jump           4.39  401
 Javelin            25.85  398
800 Meter         2:27.22  728

4.  Meghan Orgeman, CSB        4165
 100 meter hurdles  16.42  664
 High Jump           1.56  689
 Shot Put            8.91  458
 200 Meter          26.88  722
 Long Jump           5.10  587
 Javelin            23.00  345
 800 Meter        2:29.44  700

5.  Nicole Friend, Bemidji St  4065
100 meter hurdles   17.99  489
High Jump            1.59  724
 Shot Put            8.71  445
 200 Meter          27.36  701
 Long Jump           4.73  487
 Javelin            27.96  438
 800 Meter        2:23.13  781

6.  Ashley Spolarich, Bemidji St 3996
 100 meter hurdles  17.57  534
 High Jump           1.74  903
 Shot Put            8.22  414 
 200 Meter          27.59  664
 Long Jump           4.59  451
 Javelin            19.04  271
 800 Meter        2:24.85  759

7.  Amber Schackman, Concordia 3380 
100 meter hurdles  16.62  640
 High Jump          1.44  555
 Shot Put           8.88  456
 200 Meter         28.39  600
 Long Jump          4.58  448
 Javelin           20.21  293
 800 Meter       2:57.63  388
 
 
 

CSB/SJU Heptathlon, APRIL 10-11, 2005
COBBER NOTABLES
 

NCAA AUTOMATIC NATIONAL QUALIFYING:
Heptathlon - Nicole Plante – 4576

SCHOOL RECORD:
Heptathlon - Nicole Plante – 4576

COBBER ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMERS:
Heptathlon - Nicole Plante – 4576 – Top 10-#1
Heptathlon – Amber Schackman – 3380 – Top 10-#9
High Jump - Nicole Plante – 5-2.5 – Top 10-#4 tie

PERSONAL RECORDS:
Nicole Plante – heptathlon, high jump, shot put, 200
Amber Schackman – heptathlon, 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200