By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Cabot contenders played to their strengths, but fell to their weaknesses in the 14th annual heptathlon at Cabot High School on Wednesday and Thursday.
Lady Panther junior Ariel Voskamp claimed a seventh-place finish in the two-day event, two spots ahead of sophomore teammate Sabrina Antimo. Senior Lady Panther Theresa Delapaz finished 33rd in her first attempt at the heptathlon.
Mansfield’s Jessica Otto became the new queen of the heptathlon with 5,067 points, 231 better than second-place finisher Macey Rodely of Jonesboro. Competitors went into the heptathlon knowing there would be a new champion after 2009 winner Kristen Celsor, of Searcy, withdrew because of a hip injury.
Voskamp was in the top five for most of Day 1 until her 27.54 in the 200-meter run made her 25th in that event and knocked her to eighth on the leader board. She overcame the disappointment of a 4-6 high jump and 17th-place finish to start Day 2 by taking third in the shot put, and Voskamp ended the heptathlon with a time of 2:41.17 and 16th-place finish in the 800-meter run.
Her throw of 30-08 in the shot put was a personal best, and came directly after her frustrating turn at the high-jump mat.
Voskamp said her performance in the shot put was no accident.
“I think that’s why I threw so good; I was not very happy,” Voskamp said. “Before my foot started hurting, I thought I was going to be able to clear five feet, and maybe even more than that. My first one, I just let it all out, then the rest were like 26’s.”
Voskamp had discomfort in her left foot from the start of the heptathlon, and the situation worsened as the two days of competition went on. It began to affect Voskamp in the long jump, and forced her to push off with her right foot in the high jump instead of her usual left.
“I’m pretty excited,” Voskamp said. “My foot hung in there. It’s dying, though. But I’m about to go stick it in some ice. I’m satisfied for this year. It’s not top five, it’s not first, but for how I feel, I finished it the best I could. I can’t get too mad at myself.”
Antimo played catch up for most of the heptathlon after starting out in 46th place after the 100-meter hurdles. Her 16-6 in the long jump was seventh best and bumped her to 32nd overall, and the sophomore sprinter closed out Day 1 by winning the 200-meter run, which put her in 10th heading into the final day.
Antimo did not finish out of the top twenty in any of the three events in Day 2, closing out the heptathlon with a third-place run in the 800-meters with a time of 2:32.08.
Delapaz, younger sister of former Cabot track standouts Jacob and Marissa Delapaz, traded in her cheerleading pom-poms for track gear her senior year, and had her share of strong performances in her first and only try in the heptathlon.
She finished 13th in the discus with a throw of 74 feet, and was 11th in the shot put with a throw of 28-7.
Delapaz finished 26th in the 200-meter run with a personal best time of 27.69.
“My performance was good for what I was practicing,” Delapaz said.
“Just trying to keep the Delapaz legend going. My coach said I had potential; I should have done it sooner. But not so much sooner, because it seems like a lot of people are getting injured.”