June 10, 2010

EUGENE, Ore. - Kiani Profit of the University of Maryland posted the best time in the field in the 800-meter run to finish in second place in the women's heptathlon Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships being hosted at historic Hayward Field.

Profit, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., finished with 5,682 points in the seven-event competition. Junior Brianne Theisen of host Oregon won the event with 6,094 points, while Alabama senior Chealsea Taylor was third at 5,617.

In fourth place heading into the 800, the final event of the seven-event competition, Profit ran 2:12.50 to top the 19 athletes who remained in the competition. Her time was worth 928 points in the 800, earning at least 150 points more than Taylor and Nebraska's Chantae McMillan to pass them in the standings and move from fourth to second.

Starting the second day of competition in third place, Profit went 18-6.50 in the long jump, placing ninth among the competitors.

She followed with a mark of 124-4 in the javelin, 6th-best in the field. The throw was well past her previous collegiate-best of 112-8 and moved her into fourth all-time at Maryland in the javelin.

That set the stage for her strong run in the 800 to complete the two-day competition.

Profit's second-place finish earned eight points for the Terrapins in the women's team competition. Final team standings will be determined following Saturday's final day of the four-day meet.

She was also second behind Theisen in the pentathlon at this year's NCAA Indoor Nationals in March. Profit becomes Maryland's first All-American on the women's side since 2006.

Her final score of 5,682 was just four points behind the school record of 5,686 she set at the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor meet in April.

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