University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Thursday, March 11
Fayetteville, AR
Pitt
vs
2021 NCAA Indoor Championships
Wolter Earns First Team All-American Honors With Fourth Place Finish In Heptathlon
3/13/2021 9:41:00 AM | Track & Field
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Senior Felix Wolter of the Pitt men's track & field team finished off his remarkable indoor campaign on Friday afternoon with a fourth place finish in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The fourth place finish is the highest finish in program history for a Pitt heptathlete as he posted a new school record score of 5,907 points.
"I'm so proud of Felix's performance during the entire heptathlon as he was able to manage his emotions during the competition," said head coach Alonzo Webb. "He competed like a true champion, which is what any coach would hope for, when his best was expected he delivered each time. He came into the championship seeded eleventh and finished fourth earning First Team All-American. I constantly tell our athletes that meets aren't run on paper and Felix proved that at the highest level."
Wolter's school record total of 5,907 points earned him fourth place and First Team All-American honors as he became the 42nd Panther in program history to earn indoor First Team recognition. He also earned the Panthers five team points with his strong finish.
After posting four personal record marks on the first day and entering Friday in fourth place, Wolter had another two personal record marks in his three events to finish the grueling seven-event competition with a total of six new PR's.
Wolter opened the second day with a 10th place finish in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.32 seconds, just .02 seconds off of his PR time he set at the ACC Indoor Championships. He scored 903 points to give him a total of 4,238 points as he entered the final two events (pole vault and 1000m) in fourth place overall.
The Munich, Germany native had a strong showing in the pole vault for the Panthers as he posted a fifth place finish to earn 868 points. Wolter cleared a personal record height of 15'11.25" (4.86m) which marked the second best clearance in program history in the event. He moved onto the seventh and final event with 5,106 points, just 16 points behind Ayden Owens from Michigan for third place overall.
Wolter finished off his impressive two-day competition with a sixth place showing in the 1000m run as he posted a personal record time of 2:46.66. His performance earned him 801 points as he finished the competition with a program record 5,907 points and a fourth place finish. He finished 88 points behind Owens from Michigan for a spot on the podium.
Qualifying for the Indoor Championships for the second straight season, Greg Lauray didn't have the performance he was hoping for on Friday afternoon. The senior wasn't able to clear a height in the high jump but was still named Honorable Mention All-American. It marked the second straight season Lauray earned All-America status.
"Greg didn't have the same success that we expected," stated Webb. "This was the second indoor NCAA championship that he qualified for as he was unable to actually compete last year because of the pandemic. Having that experience sometimes gives you a certain perspective when you get another opportunity. Unfortunately, Greg made the meet bigger than it was. I'm sure he understands that now and is already preparing himself mentally for another opportunity."
Lauray closes out his indoor campaign with a season-best clearance of 7'1.50" (2.17m). He enters his final outdoor campaign as the indoor and outdoor high jump school record holder and two-time All-American.
"I'm proud of both Felix and Greg for qualifying for the meet and representing Pitt on a national level," Webb said. "Now our focus shifts to the outdoor season and plan to have a bigger presence come outdoor NCAA's."
The Panthers will now turn their efforts towards the outdoor campaign which will begin in just over a week.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
"I'm so proud of Felix's performance during the entire heptathlon as he was able to manage his emotions during the competition," said head coach Alonzo Webb. "He competed like a true champion, which is what any coach would hope for, when his best was expected he delivered each time. He came into the championship seeded eleventh and finished fourth earning First Team All-American. I constantly tell our athletes that meets aren't run on paper and Felix proved that at the highest level."
Wolter's school record total of 5,907 points earned him fourth place and First Team All-American honors as he became the 42nd Panther in program history to earn indoor First Team recognition. He also earned the Panthers five team points with his strong finish.
After posting four personal record marks on the first day and entering Friday in fourth place, Wolter had another two personal record marks in his three events to finish the grueling seven-event competition with a total of six new PR's.
Wolter opened the second day with a 10th place finish in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.32 seconds, just .02 seconds off of his PR time he set at the ACC Indoor Championships. He scored 903 points to give him a total of 4,238 points as he entered the final two events (pole vault and 1000m) in fourth place overall.
The Munich, Germany native had a strong showing in the pole vault for the Panthers as he posted a fifth place finish to earn 868 points. Wolter cleared a personal record height of 15'11.25" (4.86m) which marked the second best clearance in program history in the event. He moved onto the seventh and final event with 5,106 points, just 16 points behind Ayden Owens from Michigan for third place overall.
Wolter finished off his impressive two-day competition with a sixth place showing in the 1000m run as he posted a personal record time of 2:46.66. His performance earned him 801 points as he finished the competition with a program record 5,907 points and a fourth place finish. He finished 88 points behind Owens from Michigan for a spot on the podium.
Qualifying for the Indoor Championships for the second straight season, Greg Lauray didn't have the performance he was hoping for on Friday afternoon. The senior wasn't able to clear a height in the high jump but was still named Honorable Mention All-American. It marked the second straight season Lauray earned All-America status.
"Greg didn't have the same success that we expected," stated Webb. "This was the second indoor NCAA championship that he qualified for as he was unable to actually compete last year because of the pandemic. Having that experience sometimes gives you a certain perspective when you get another opportunity. Unfortunately, Greg made the meet bigger than it was. I'm sure he understands that now and is already preparing himself mentally for another opportunity."
Lauray closes out his indoor campaign with a season-best clearance of 7'1.50" (2.17m). He enters his final outdoor campaign as the indoor and outdoor high jump school record holder and two-time All-American.
"I'm proud of both Felix and Greg for qualifying for the meet and representing Pitt on a national level," Webb said. "Now our focus shifts to the outdoor season and plan to have a bigger presence come outdoor NCAA's."
The Panthers will now turn their efforts towards the outdoor campaign which will begin in just over a week.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram
Players Mentioned
/ Track & Field
/ Track & Field
2025 Hall of Fame Class | Amanda Walker
Saturday, September 27
Pitt Athletics | 2024 Hall of Fame Class | Steve Lewis
Wednesday, September 18
Pitt: Beyond the Script | Season 3, Episode 18 | Track & Field ACC Award Winners
Sunday, January 14
Pitt Track & Field | ACC Indoor Championships | Day 3 Recap
Sunday, January 14