2017 DI NCAA Indoor Championships

Kendell Williams Is The First Person Ever To Win An Event 4 Years In A Row

Kendell Williams Is The First Person Ever To Win An Event 4 Years In A Row

Georgia senior Kendell Williams won her fourth straight pentathlon at the NCAA indoor championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday, making her the first man or woman ever to win an event four years in a row at the meet.

Mar 10, 2017 by Dennis Young
Kendell Williams Is The First Person Ever To Win An Event 4 Years In A Row
Georgia senior Kendell Williams won her fourth straight pentathlon at the NCAA indoor championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday, making her the first man or woman ever to win an event four years in a row at the meet. (Edward Cheserek won the 3K in his freshman and junior seasons, and will probably win it this year, but coasted to a second-place finish behind his teammate Eric Jenkins as a sophomore.)

The sweep was somewhat in question. Heading into the 800 meters, Williams was only beating Arkansas junior Taliyah Brooks by nine points--less than a second's worth in the 800. Brooks has run 2:12 indoors, while Williams's indoor or outdoor personal best was only 2:15.

The drama fizzled with Brooks, though, as Williams ran a new indoor PR of 2:15.61 and Brooks struggled home in 2:22.


Her 4,682 points are the third most in NCAA history and the second most in meet history, behind her own meet and collegiate records. Williams has seven of the eight best pentathlon scores in collegiate history.

Before that 800, she ran 8.03 seconds in the 60 hurdles, cleared 1.78m in the high jump, threw the shot 12.96m, and long-jumped 6.47m. Her career 44 points at the NCAA meet now ties her for No. 11 in meet history, and she still has tonight's long jump, where she's the No. 5 seed.

There will be no sweep outdoors, though, as Williams lost the heptathlon to Akela Jones in her sophomore year. Williams won the year before and after.

Her brother and Georgia teammate, Devon, is in third in the men's heptathlon after the first day.