Mount Union's Kennady Gibbins wins NCAA Division III national championship in heptathlon

Mount Union's Kennady Gibbins never gave anyone else a chance.

From wire to wire, her performance in the heptathlon made her a runaway national champion.

Gibbins captured her first title Friday at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Geneva. The former Fairless High School standout's heptathlon total of 5,244 points is the fourth most in meet history.

"I feel like I'm on top of the world right now," Gibbins said.

Gibbins' winning score broke her own school record by 684 points. She is the first Mount Union woman to win a national title in the heptathlon.

Gibbins came into the meet ranked 14th in the nation. After building a 190-point lead Thursday, she was in a great position to win the title. She won the high jump, shot put and 200 and finished fourth in the 100 hurdles.

"After some amazing PRs, it felt really good," Gibbins said. "I came in a little nervous. I had some doubts. Getting that lead made me confident In what I could do."

A seven-second personal best time in the 800, the heptathlon's final event, clinched a 143-point win for Gibbins.

Gibbins performed strictly as a high jumper during her freshman and sophomore seasons at Mount Union. She added the heptathlon last year and finished seventh at nationals.

Earlier Friday, Gibbins also became an All-American in the individual high jump. She finished seventh with a jump of 5 feet, 6.5 inches.

Tanner Slack gave the Mount Union men's team its first All-American finish of the meet. He was national runner-up in the men's high jump with a jump of 6-9.75.

Leppelmeier national runner-up

Walsh's Alexa Leppelmeier came in second in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Allendale, Mich.

Leppelmeier finished in 10:21.91. It is her eighth career All-American honor.

Cavaliers thrower Ndidi Anaraodo was 12th in the women's discus with a throw of 144 feet, 1 inch. It is her fourth All-American honor.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Mount Union's Kennady Gibbins wins national title in heptathlon