Baylor track and field sophomore Wil London finished eighth in the 400-meter final with a time of 45.72 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Friday at Hayward Field.
Running out of lane one, London got out to a fast start, but had to battle a strong headwind and a puddle of water as he ran the final curve. That disadvantage left the sophomore Bear near the back of the pack heading into the homestretch and he was unable to overtake any runners over the final 80 meters. London earned the second All-American honor of his career, after also finishing eighth at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400 meters. The Waco, Texas, product, gives Baylor its 25th All-American accolade in the 400 meters in program history and the first since 2008.
With London’s eighth-place finish in the 400 meters, Baylor tallied one point in the team race to conclude the NCAA Outdoor Championships tied for 74th. BU has now scored at the national outdoor meet in 39 of the last 40 years.
In the triple jump, senior Felix Obi placed 14th with a best attempt of 51-4.5 [15.66m]. After opening with a mark of 49-9 [15.16m], the El Paso, Texas, native sat in 15th after one round of jumps. He then produced what ended up being his best jump on his second attempt to move in to eighth, but by the time of his third attempt Obi had been bumped down to 13th. On his final jump, Obi was unable to improve.
Senior Jenna Pfeiffer also began action in the heptathlon competition Friday.
To open her day, Pfeiffer ran a 14.78 to earn 871 points in the 100-meter hurdles, which placed her 22nd after the first event. In the high jump, Pfeiffer breezed through the first four bars without a miss, but was unable to get over 5-6.5 [1.69m]. She finished with a top clearance of 5-5.25 [1.66m] to earn 806 points and move up to 14th overall with 1,677 points.
Pfeiffer notched her top throw in the shot put event on her first attempt, 37-1 [11.30m], to garner 615 points, which dropped her back to 17th with 2,292 points. In the final event of day one, she produced a mark of 27.21 in the 200 meters to secure 694 points.
Through four of seven events in the heptathlon, Pfeiffer has totaled 2,986 points, which is 20th among the 24 athletes.
TOP QUOTE #1
“Getting to the final, that’s the main goal. And that’s what I accomplished. All I had to do was try to take care of business in the final. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen the way I planned it to go. I’m just blessed to be in the final.” - sophomore Wil London on his race
WHAT'S NEXT
On Saturday, Jenna Pfeiffer will take part in the final three events of the heptathlon starting at 11:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. CT) with the long jump. Meanwhile, seniors Brianna Richardson and Rachel Toliver will compete in the triple jump competition starting at 3:40 p.m. (5:40 p.m. CT).
COMPLETE BAYLOR RESULTS
Q or q = Advanced to Event Final
400 Meters Final
Men
8. Wil London (SO) - 45.72 (first outdoor All-American honor)
Triple Jump
Men
14. Felix Obi (SR) - 51-4.5 [15.66m]
Heptathlon #1 - 100 Hurdles
22. Jenna Pfeiffer (SR) - 14.78
Heptathlon #2 - High Jump
9. Jenna Pfeiffer (SR) - 5-5.25 [1.66m]
Heptathlon #3 - Shot Put
17. Jenna Pfeiffer (SR) - 37-1 [11.30m]
Heptathlon #4 - 200 Meters
20. Jenna Pfeiffer (SR) - 27.21
Heptathlon Ranking (Through Four Events)
20. Jenna Pfeiffer (SR) - 2,986 pts.
