University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia's Heptathletes Prepare For Outdoor Season
March 19, 2015 | Track & Field
By Emily McLanahan
Grady Sports Bureau
UGA's women's track team has two of the hardest-working women on the track to thank for their third-place finish at the NCAA Division I indoor championship last weekend.
Sophomore Kendell Williams set a new collegiate record of 4,678 points in the pentathlon to blow away the competition for her third NCAA individual title. Senior Quintunya Chapman scored 1,055 points from the start with an 8.33 in the 60-meter hurdles, the fifth best score in the University of Georgia record books, on her way to a sixth-place finish. These records are the result of months of training that consists of weightlifting, nutrition maintenance, and event practicing.
"It was definitely a battle for Tunya and I. When you do a pentathlon you feel like you're preparing for war and then afterwards you feel like you just went through a war, so it was tough," Williams said. "That was the goal for both of us to score points for the team and we did that."
Both pentathletes said they were satisfied with their indoor season performances, although they admitted they are eager to perfect their mistakes moving on to the outdoor season. Chapman credited the team's chemistry to their success as well. The growth she witnessed of her teammates during her four years at Georgia proved to be the most rewarding experience for her thus far, she said.
Coach Wayne Norton said his goal for the team is continue this consistency and focus into the next three months. He said there is no formula for keeping his team focused and their personal confidence has contributed to the team chemistry to perform so well thus far.
"I told them to believe their teammate is the best person out. If we keep believing and accepting then that's what it is," he said.
Williams is an established star, having won the NCAA Division I heptathlon last year as well as earning national and world junior titles in the 100-meter hurdles. Chapman, on the other hand, came to UGA four years ago as a sprinter and nearly left the team before being introduced to the multi-events last year. Last outdoor season, she scored 5,659 points in her first heptathlon and took fourth place.
"Being a beginner to such an intense workout regimen and just an event in general, looking at the workouts was very intimidating," Chapman sad. "Now that I know what I need to do and how I can train and that I can trust my coach helps out a little more."
The Georgia Relays are set to kick off the outdoor season this weekend for both the men's and women's University of Georgia track teams.
-- The Grady Sports Bureau is part of the sports media program at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories include:
August 28 - David Andrews (football vs. Clemson)
September 4 - Carly Hamilton (cross country in Bulldog Invitational)
September 11 - Tirah Leau (volleyball in Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 18 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Vanderbilt)
September 25 - Toby Johnson (football vs. Tennessee)
October 2 - Emma Sonnett (soccer vs. Tennessee)
October 9 - Jared Markham (swimming & diving vs. Alabama)
October 16 - Gaby Smiley (volleyball vs. Kentucky and Tennessee)
October 23 - Bella Hartley (soccer vs. Kentucky)
October 30 - Olivia Ball & Ian Forlini (swimming & diving vs. Florida)
November 6 - Megan Spencer (volleyball vs. Arkansas)
November 13 - Kolton Houston (football vs. Auburn)
November 20 - Yante Maten (men's basketball vs. Troy & FAU)
November 27 - Damian Swann (football vs. Georgia Tech)
December 4 - Marjorie Butler (women's basketball vs. Michigan State)
December 18 - Tiaria Griffin (women's basketball vs. Furman)
December 25 - International Bulldogs (men's basketball vs. Mercer)
January 7 - Maddie Locus (women's swimming & diving vs. Texas)
January 14 - Shacobia Barbee (women's basketball vs. Vanderbilt)
January 21 - Caroline Brinson (women's tennis in ITA Kickoff Weekend)
January 28 - Nathan Pasha (men's tennis vs. UCLA and Southern Cal)
February 4 - Sara Parr (equestrian vs. South Carolina)
February 11 - Cortni Emanuel (softball in Bulldog Invitational)
February 18 - Chelsea Davis (gymnastics vs. Alabama)
February 25 - Hannah King (women's tennis vs. LSU & Texas A&M)
March 4 - Wayne Montgomery (men's tennis vs. Texas A&M & LSU)
March 11 - Mary Beth Box (gymnastics vs. Utah)
Players Mentioned
