Masters Propels into NCAA Pentathlon Rankings
Destiny Masters put together the third-best pentathlon in Shocker history to take over the conference lead with an NCAA top-10 mark Friday at the Herm Wilson Invitational.
"I am immensely proud of Destiny," Rainbolt said. "She has come a million miles from being a smalltown Kansas girl who was just a high jumper in high school. She has learned all these events and is doing beautifully and competing extremely well."
After backing off and jogging the 800 meters to still win the pentathlon at the Lindeman Invitational last weekend, Masters used her conserved energy to score 4,043 points and win the Herm Wilson pentathlon with three event personal bests.
Her pentathlon score puts her 10th in the NCAA based on TFRRS-recorded results and ties two-time All-American and four-time NCAA Championships qualifier Tanya Friesen for the third spot on the Wichita State all-time list.
Masters opened up the pentathlon with a personal-best 8.47 in the 60-meter hurdles to score 1,024 points and take a lead she would never relinquish.
Moving to the high jump, she matched her season best from last weekend, clearing 1.76m/5'9.25" and earning 928 points with the highest jump of the day. Masters has proven, though, that she is capable of jumping 1.82m/5'11.5" but has yet to match that this season.
"I think if we can work through some of these little frustrating glitches in the high jump, she'll jump six feet and make it [to the NCAA Championships] in the high jump, too," Rainbolt said. "She's a marvelous athlete and a very good competitor."
Masters went on to throw a personal-best 11.49m/37'8.5" in the shot put and jump a season-best 5.92m/19'5.25" in the long jump.
With the only event remaining being her biggest challenge, she gutted out a personal-best 2:34.40 in the 800 meters to give herself the best shot at qualifying to the national meet.
"She has struggled badly with the 800 meters and had some emotionally difficult times facing that event, so she's come really far," Rainbolt said. "She hung in there and held tough and ran a PR."
In order to qualify to the NCAA Indoor Championships, Masters must remain among the top 16 in the NCAA, a feat that no Shocker woman has accomplished since Breanne Borman and newly-inducted Wichita State Hall of Famer Nikki Larch-Miller qualified in the pentathlon in 2017.
"I'm very proud of Destiny, and today was a wonderful effort on her part," Rainbolt said. "I believe that she'll either make it to the national meet with that mark or go to the conference meet and score higher to solidify her position at the national meet."
Also recording a personal best on day one of the Herm Wilson Invitational, Kylie Zimmer threw 16.13m/52'11" to win the weight throw.
Hudson Bailey made his debut in the triple jump, placing second with a leap of 14.08m/46'2.5", and the Shocker women swept the triple jump with Faith Turner claiming the win, jumping 11.60m/38'0.75".
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