March 13, 2010

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Kiani Profit turned in one of the top performances in the history of Maryland track and field Saturday, besting two school records and earning All-America status with a second-place finish in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Arkansas.

Profit, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., finished with 4,242 points in the five-event competition, besting her school-record of 4,125 set two weeks ago at the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor meet. Profit finished behind only Brianne Theisen of Oregon, who won the pentathlon with 4,396 points.

Her finish among the top eight earned her All-America status in the pentathlon, the first Maryland woman earning All-America status since Kierra Foster and Lynn Hernandez in 2006.

Profit also set a school record in the first event of the day, running 8.40 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. She jointly held the school record of 8.49 with Foster prior to Saturday's event. Profit earned 1,039 points with her mark, placing third in Saturday's competition in the hurdles.

Profit ended her day by winning the 800-meter run, cutting nearly three seconds off her career-best by finishing in 2:11.86. Her mark bested the 2:14.74 she ran at the ACC Pentathlon and moved her into fifth all-time in that event indoors at Maryland. Profit earned 938 points for her time in the 800, but Theisen's second-place finish at 2:15.58 earned her enough points to hold off Profit in the pentathlon scoring.

The second event of the day, the high jump, saw Profit post a career-best 5-7.25 mark, moving her into fifth all-time indoors at Maryland in the high jump. She earned 867 points for the effort.

Profit also posted marks of 35-3.25 in the shot put and 19-4.25 in the long jump on Saturday.

Her eight team points for the second-place finish lifted Maryland into a tie for 28th in the women's standings on Saturday. It was the most points Maryland scored at an indoor nationals since 2006 when the Terps placed 22nd with 11 team points.

Single-handedly, Profit helped the Terrapins to the third-best finish in the team standings in school history, behind only the 2006 finish and a tie for 7th with 12 points in 1984.