Tired practice is the best kind of practice for freshman track and field athlete Emma Whigham. 

The Bettendorf, Iowa, native is listed on the ISU roster as a sprinter, but has also taken on the roles of hurdler, jumper and thrower in two meets this season all in preparation for her first outdoor heptathlon Thursday at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Ariz.

Whigham competed in five events in her outdoor debut at the Tulsa Duels on March 19 in Tulsa, Okla. — 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, 4×400-meter relay, long jump and javelin. She competed in all of those events except the 4×400-meter relay again Friday and Saturday at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival and Stanford Invitational.

She said her biggest challenges this season have been competing on tired legs and remembering what she needs to execute in each event.

“Each event is different,” Whigham said. “I have to remember different queues, certain things you have to do for each event to be successful. So it’s kind of hard to remember which things to do in which events.”

In practice, Whigham has been working on endurance, which will come in handy when competing in a such a physically demanding event in the desert.

Aside from wanting to improve, Whigham is waiting until her first heptathlon is under her belt before she starts setting marks she’d like to reach.

“I don’t know my potential — what I can do — so maybe I’ll start setting some goals after the first heptathlon and see where I’ll be at,” she said.

Whigham will have some company at the Jim Click Shootout, as senior Kaci Storm is also scheduled to compete in the heptathlon.

Christina Hillman, Jhoanmy Luque to make outdoor debuts

Sophomore jumper Jhoanmy Luque and redshirt senior Christina Hillman will make their outdoor track and field debuts at the Sun Angel Classic on Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.

The meet will mark the pair’s first return to action since the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, when Hillman placed fourth in the shot put and Luque took 15th in the long jump.

Katie Reeves will join Luque and Hillman at the Sun Angel Classic, competing in the high jump.