AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – West Texas A&M senior track and field star Esther Conde-Turpin made national history over the weekend after breaking the Division II outdoor track and field record in the heptathlon.
Conde-Turpin totaled 6,161 points, breaking the 11-year-old record set by Salcia Slack by 20 points.
She also set a school record in the 100-meter hurdles and placed first in the high jump, shot put and javelin.
Conde Turpin is coming off a successful indoor track season in her first year at West Texas A&M. She won a national championship in the pentathlon for the second straight year and was part of the Lady Buffs’ team that came in second overall.
She is also a Lone Star Conference champion, winning the 60-meter hurdles and a team title.
Conde Turpin joined the Lady Buffs after starting her career at Azusa Pacific University in California.
Head coach Matt Stewart said she is a strong competitor who has exceeded expectations.
“She’s just been a blessing for us, a great leader, a great person to have around, works hard,” Stewart said. “Sometimes you get a high level athlete and you think they may be real arrogant or hard to train or anything like something like that. But she’s not like that at all. She wants to be doing anything she can for the team.”
Stewart said Conde Turpin will run on the four-by-one relay this weekend due to injuries on the team.
“She’s willing to help the team in any way possible,” he said. “She just really doesn’t have a weakness.”
Stewart said the team thought the javelin would be a weakness because Conde Turpin had elbow surgery, but she still threw well.
“She’s tough. It’s everything you want from an athlete,” he said.
Conde-Turpin said the milestone is a great accomplishment heading into the rest of the track season.
“That was like the first outdoor meet of the season. So basically the goal for me at this meet was just to get my qualification for national, but it looks like that was so much better for me,” she said. “It’s been like a surprise, but I’m very happy about that, about those D2 record and I’m very happy also for the school like to try this record like.”
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