March 25, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Notre Dame track and field multi-events specialists concluded the Alabama Relays Friday at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Complex in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Junior Maddie Buttinger (Waterloo, Ontario/Resurrection C.S.S.) notched a third-place finish with 3,035 points in the heptathlon to begin the outdoor season. Senior Justin Schneider (Atlanta, Ga./Greater Atlanta Christian) placed second with 6,909 points in the decathlon.
Buttinger entered the day in second place and began the day by posting a mark of 4.91m for a fifth-place finish in the long jump, followed by 25.38m and 16th place in the javelin throw. The junior ran for fifth place in 2:27:59 in the 800-meter run, her final event of the heptathlon.
Alabama’s Kaylon Eppinger was the heptathlon champion and posted 3,338 points, followed by unattached competitor Tammilee Kerr who totaled 3,077 points in the two-day event.
Schneider began the second day of competition in third place. The senior ran the first event of the day, the 100-meter hurdles to a fifth-place finish in 15.81. In the discus throw he also finished fifth (33.31m), followed by a third-place finish (4.45m) in the pole vault. In the javelin throw Schneider finished fifth (46.50m) and notched a first-place finish in the 1,500-meter run in 4:34.22.
Sophomore Dean Odegard (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) began the second day of the decathlon with a 12th-place finish in 17.53 in the 110-meter hurdles, followed by a second-place finish (37.77m) in the discus throw. The sophomore finished fifth (4.35m) in the pole vault and ninth (41.98m) in the javelin throw. Odegard finished the day with a second-place finish in the 1,500-meter run in 4:34.32, which was less than a second behind Schneider and concluded the decathlon in fourth place with 6,332 points to post a career best.
Sophomore Alex Bavis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) threw 24.42m in the discus throw to finish 14th and 10th place (36.90m) in the javelin throw. The sophomore finished in 18th place with 3,129 points.
Unattached competitor Keith Baker finished in first place with 7,320 points.
The multi-events student-athletes have concluded their weekend competition. The the sprinters, jumpers and throwers are at the Arizona State Invitational, while the middle distance and distance runners are at the Stanford Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Check back to und.com for a recap of those meets.
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