FORMER Holmwood Technical standout Salcia Slack won three medals — two gold and a bronze — on what was a busy first two days of the NCAA Division Two Outdoor Championships at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Slack, who is representing New Mexico Highlands, won the long jump with a personal best 6.32m on Thursday’s opening day of the three-day championships, took the heptathlon with 5,714 points and was third in the triple jump in 13.03m, an event she rarely competes in.

The National Junior Record holder in the heptathlon underachieved in the multi-event after amassing a personal best and NCAA Division Two record 5,833 points while winning the title at the Rocky Mountain Athletics Conference (RMAC) Outdoor Championships two weeks ago in Alamosa, Colorado.

Former Manchester High athlete Shanice McPherson, who is also attending New Mexico Highlands, was fourth in the long jump with 6.15m, which she achieved twice on Thursday.

In the heptathlon, despite achieving three personal bests in the 100m hurdles, 200m and javelin throw, Slack’s underperformance in the high jump and shot put on the first day cost her big points after she had targeted at least 6,000 points.

She opened her quest with a wind-aided 14.00 seconds (3.7m/s wind) in the 100m hurdles, under her previous personal best of 14.04 seconds for third place overall.

She, however, managed only 1.49m in the high jump to finish 13th, while getting just 610 points and then followed up with a subpar 12.50m to win the shot put, well below her 14.00m best.

She finished the first day with 3,203 points, but came back strong on Friday’s second day, jumping 6.10m in the long jump and threw the javelin 45.94m, winning both events before running 2:18.16 minutes for second in the 800m.

— Paul Reid