Anna Hall set the national high school record in the Heptathlon at the Southwest Classic.
All Anna Hall needed heading into the 800 of the Heptathlon was a 2:34, and the national record would be hers. For the Valor Christian junior, 2:34 is practically lunch money - she held a 2:19 personal best heading into the event. She had quite a cushion, but she made sure to cap the final event of the Heptathlon at the Great Southwest Classic with a massive, very bold exclamation point.
Before today, Kendall Williams held the national record with 5,578 points, which she set in 2012, but as the saying goes, records are meant to be broken.
Hall ran 2:17 to shatter the previous national record, tallying 5,798 points, and run a PR, which was the trend for her, as she tallied a slew of PRs across other events, including a 19-10.75 long jump, and a 5-feet-11.5 inch high jump.
Winning a national title, as great as it may be, had to come second to capturing a national record. Hall spoke with MileSplit following her record-breaking performance.
"I woke up this morning and I didn't really feel that good," Hall explained of heading into the second and final day of competition.
Despite not feeling well, Hall willed herself on.
"I was trying not to think about it (breaking the record)" Hall said of the 800. "I didn't want to tell myself 2:34, because if I run that I'll be so disappointed."
Disappointed, likely, because she knew she had more in her. And she proved that with her 2:17, which won the event in the final strides.
Hall capped her weekend the most ideal way possible - capturing a national title, and a national record by crossing the finish line first in the final event.
"It felt really good to put it all together," Hall explained of putting together a full meet of events.
With a national record in her back pocket, and another year of high school ahead of her, she's like to threaten her own record next year.
Watch her break the record here: Anna Hall
