By Laura Carr
Sports Editor
Aedin Brennan ‘16 shakes her legs out as she awaits the start of the 800m run, the last event in the grueling two-day track and field event that is the heptathlon. The official says “Runners take your marks…set…” Boom! The gun goes off, and Brennan quickly makes her way to the front of the pack.
Brennan captured the heptathlon title at the North Coast Athletic Conference multi-event championships with a score of 4,860 points on April 27.
In addition to besting second place Hilary Coady of Wooster by over 400 points, Brennan also set a personal best in the heptathlon. Her score moved her to fourth place in all of Division III. She also broke her previous NCAC record of 4,629 points which she set last season, and she broke her school record of 4,722 points that she set at the 2013 NCAA Division III Nationals.
“I am very proud to have won the heptathlon for the second year in our conference,” Brennan said. “We have a tough league, and I truly have to work hard to earn first place.”
She entered the second day in first place with 2,800 points after recording marks of 15.78 in the 100m hurdles, 5’½” in the high jump, 36’11 ¾” in the shot put and 26.20 in the 200m on the first day. Brennan posted the top mark in the long jump (17’9 ¾”) and the second best marks in the javelin (114’11”) and 800m (2:21.14) on the final day of competition, en route to her first place finish.
Brennan began running track during her sophomore year of high school for Harley-Allendale Columbia, where she finished sixth in the triple jump at the New York state meet. Since then, she has earned 18 All-NCAC honors, two All America honors and has been named All-NCAC Field Event Athlete of the Year twice.
She began competing in the multi-events at Denison.
“Coach FitzPatrick and Coach Shaffer both thought I would be good in multiple events based on my high school performances,” she said. “They had me begin training all my events every week once the season started.”
Despite her strength in the multi-events, Brennan favors the 400m, an event that is not contested in the indoor pentathlon or the outdoor heptathlon.
“I really enjoy the 400m dash because it is always a real test of speed and endurance,” Brennan said. “I have been running the 400 since I started track, and it has been one of my favorite races to improve.”
Brennan’s personal records are 26.2 in the 200m, 57.74 in the 400m, 2:19.34 in the 800m, 9.58 in the 60m hurdles, 15.78 in the 100m hurdles, 63.86 in the 400m hurdles, 17’9 ¾” in the long jump, 5’2 ¼” in the high jump, 37’ ¾” in the triple jump, 37’1 ½” in the shot put, 114’11” in the javelin and 3,484 points in the pentathlon.
Brennan will be back in action May 2-May 3 for the NCAC Track and Field Championships at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. The sophomore’s heptathlon win puts the Big Red women in second place behind Ohio Wesleyan heading into this weekend’s meet.
Photo courtesy Sports Information