Elizabeth Krug Earns All-American Honors in Heptathlon for Second Consecutive Year

CONWAY, AR (05/29/2012)(readMedia)-- For the second consecutive year, Hendrix College sophomore Elizabeth Krug earned All-American honors in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Claremont, Calif. The Heber Springs, Ark. native finished sixth place overall with a school record 4,726 points. Krug took seventh place as a freshman in 2011.

"We are pleased with the effort, but we all were hoping for a better result overall," said head coach Patrick MacDonald. "She has been battling a hip injury for the last two months, and it was a real challenge this week."

On the first day of competition, Krug broke her own school record in the 100 meter hurdles and the 200 meter dash. Through four events, she sat in seventh place at the end of Thursday.

"She ran a great hurdles to start, but the high jump was really hard on her hip," said MacDonald. "She fought back really well in the 200 meters to end day one."

Krug started Friday with the fourth-best long jump of the competition, leaping 5.36 meters (17 ft.-7 in.). She followed with a javelin throw of 29.99 meters (98 ft.-5 in.), placing 18th in the event. Krug closed out Nationals with the third-best 800 meter time of 2:24.98.

"Her long jump to begin day two was really solid, but she's had better days in the event," MacDonald said. "The javelin is the other challenge for her hip, and it didn't go as planned. She put together a gutsy 800, but she had conceded too many points by then to get to the top of the podium."

"I'm really looking forward to next year for her," said MacDonald. "I know she had all the pieces to win the whole thing. It's just a matter of time in my eyes."

Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.