Emily Godwin shines for UNC track and field at Tobacco Road Multis

In a tight competition at the Tobacco Road Multis, the spotlight was on Emily Godwin.

And given the chance, the UNC junior shined.

Godwin did not capture first place in the women’s pentathlon, but her second-place finish included multiple record-setting marks.

The junior finished Friday’s event at the Eddie Smith Field House with 4,069 points. That ranked second in school history and third in the nation this year.

“I’m very excited for Emily,” said assistant head coach Josh Langley. “She put together a great meet. There were some events that didn’t go as well as others, but she was still able to put up a really good score.”

Godwin’s strong performance began with the 60-meter hurdles. Her time of 8.98 seconds earned her 914 points.

In the high jump, she tied her lifetime best at 1.80 meters, which ranks ninth in the NCAA this year.

Godwin then placed second in shot put at 11.76 meters and leaped 5.59 meters in the long jump before completing the pentathlon with a time of 2:21.31 in the 800-meter run.

“There was overall great competition, and I have some areas of improvement that I need to focus on,” Godwin said. “It was a good time to compete, and I’m happy about where I am.”

Godwin has improved throughout the year, but Langley said her largest strides have come in the way she approaches each event.

“She has gotten really good at if an event doesn’t go exactly the way that she has planned, she gives herself five minutes and leaves it behind her so she can move forward,” Langley said. “She has adopted short-term memory, and that’s crucial for multi-event athletes.”

Combined events like the pentathlon aren’t offered at all meets, so multi-event athletes like Godwin don’t often get the opportunity to compete.

This meant it was crucial for Godwin and UNC’s other competitors to participate in Friday’s event, even with the bad weather conditions.

“Even with the potential distractions that could have occurred with the snow and canceling classes, she handled the mental part really well,” Langley said.

Friday’s pentathlon marked the first of the year for Godwin and the Tar Heels, and she hopes she can continue improving on her fifth-place finish in the pentathlon at 2015’s ACC Championships.

“I thought it went well and was a really good season opener,” Godwin said. “I had a couple of personal records, and I’m looking more toward ACC Championships now and hopefully NCAA Championships, too.”

@jordymae012

sports@dailytarheel.com