Heptathlon

Luallen does enough to go out on high note

Claire Luallen (right) of Maumelle crosses the fi nish line ahead of Little Rock Parkview’s Johnaya Givens (center) in the 800-meter run Thursday at the state high school heptathlon in Cabot. Luallen, who fi nished with a time of 2 minutes, 38.31 seconds in the event, won the decathlon by 39 points over Tai’Sheka Porchia of Camden Fairview. For more photos, visit arkansasonline.com/galleries.
Claire Luallen (right) of Maumelle crosses the fi nish line ahead of Little Rock Parkview’s Johnaya Givens (center) in the 800-meter run Thursday at the state high school heptathlon in Cabot. Luallen, who fi nished with a time of 2 minutes, 38.31 seconds in the event, won the decathlon by 39 points over Tai’Sheka Porchia of Camden Fairview. For more photos, visit arkansasonline.com/galleries.

CABOT -- Claire Luallen capped her high school track and field career in style.

The Maumelle senior and two-time Class 5A 100-meter hurdles champion won the 21st annual state heptathlon Thursday at Panther Stadium, totaling 4,164 points.

Luallen earned a victory in the 100 hurdles on day one Wednesday, clocking in at 15.09, and had a fifth-place finish in the long jump, which also took place Wednesday.

Luallen has enjoyed a successful final month of her senior season. She won the 100 and 300 hurdles titles at the Class 5A state track and field meet May 3 in Magnolia, and she earned the 100 hurdles crown at the Meet of Champs on Saturday at Lake Hamilton in Pearcy.

"It's definitely amazing," said Luallen, who will compete as a heptathlete at Missouri Southern University in Joplin, Mo. "It's exciting to finish it on this note and be able to do it for my coaches and for myself. I still have more room to improve."

Camden Fairview junior Tai'Sheka Porchia finished second with 4,125 points. Porchia led after day one with 2,507 points. El Dorado junior Breya Clark came in third (4,086).

Rounding out the top 10 were Pocahontas' Natalie Toney (4,043), Russellville's Tamera Rhode (3,946), Sheridan's Lauren Godwin (3,927), Little Rock Parkview's Johnaya Givens (3,896), Bryant's Megan Lee (3,715), Rogers' Ashlyne Silcott (3,702) and Vilonia's Ally Swaim (3,659).

Luallen entered the second day of the heptathlon in second place, trailing Porchia by 46 points.

She used ninth-place finishes in the high jump and shot put to take over first place with the 800 remaining.

In the 800, Luallen clocked in at 2:38.31, picking up an 11th-place finish, good for 592 points to seal the heptathlon.

"Considering it was my worst of three events, I just wanted to do the best that I could," Luallen said. "My coach [Nick Taylor] was telling me to calm down. He told me last night that I needed to think that I can do it beforehand. Think positive thoughts before the day starts so you don't go in being discouraged."

Clark, the Class 6A state champion in the long jump, took the event title with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches. She earned 795 points. Bentonville's Lexi Matlock was second and Godwin came in third, with both athletes clearing 5-3 but Matlock with fewer misses.

Gentry's Chastery Fuamatu earned her second individual title of the heptathlon Thursday, with a winning toss of 39-2¾ in the shot put. She earned 658 points. Mills' Cetra Dale finished second (37-7½) and Jonesboro's Breanna Moore was third (36-5¾)

Cabot's Lauren Turner won the 800 in 2:16.61, earning 870 points. Rhode came in second (2:19.85) and Toney finished third (2:20.42).

Last season, Luallen finished 10th in the heptathlon and was 23rd as a sophomore in 2016. She said her previous experience in the two-day competition helped her succeed this week.

"I didn't even dream about first place. I didn't think it was possible," Luallen said. "So, it definitely helped me to have experience, to know what the 800 felt like, to be able to throw. We don't have a track or anywhere to do field events, so it made it harder to do field events.

"It's definitely about perseverance and your physical ability."

Sports on 05/18/2018

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