Annett Wichmann, the University of Hawai'i's lone representative at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., was in 16th place yesterday after four events in the heptathlon.

The sophomore has 3,150 points.

Wichmann won the shot put with a heave of 45 feet, 9 inches. In the 100 hurdles, she finished seventh in section two with a time of 15.24 seconds. In the high jump, she finished tied for second in the second flight, clearing 5-6 1/2, and in the 200 meters, she was sixth in section two, finishing in 27.04.

Jacquelyn Johnson of Arizona State leads the heptathlon with 3,526 points.

Virginia Powell of Southern California broke the collegiate 100-meter hurdle record for the second time in three days yesterday, ending her fabulous USC career with a 12.48-second victory.

Powell, who broke the record she shared with Gail Devers with a 12.55 in the semifinals Wednesday, repeated as the event's champion and won her fourth NCAA title overall.

The senior warmed up for the event by running the first leg of USC's third-place 400-meter relay team an hour earlier. In the hurdles, she bolted from the starting blocks well ahead of the competition and was never in trouble.

Canadian Priscilla Lopes of Nebraska was second in a personal-best 12.60.

"I didn't even remember the race until I crossed the finish line," Powell said. "That's how much of a zone I was in. I've never felt like that."

With the impressive performance, Powell has the top two times in the world this year — 12.48 and 12.55. Lopes' 12.60 is third-fastest, followed by Powell's 12.61.

"It just keeps making me hungry for the American record and the world record, now that I'm running these times," Powell said.

Devers set the American record at 12.33 at the Olympic trials on the same Sacramento track in 2000. The world record of 12.21 was set by Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria in 1988.

Aries Merritt of Tennessee won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.21, matching the fastest time in the world this year — by Liu Xiang of China — and breaking the NCAA meet record of 13.22 set by Greg Foster of UCLA in 1978. Only Renaldo Nehemiah ran faster as a collegian.

Diminutive Dana Pounds of the Air Force defended her javelin title with a throw of 190-3, more than 11 feet farther than runner-up Kayla Wilkinson of Nebraska.

The Texas women won the 400 relay despite the absence of their best sprinter, Marshevet Hooker.

Through nine women's events race, Texas and Nebraska had 26 points apiece, followed by Auburn with 22 and Arizona State with 19. Arizona led the men's race through 10 events with 28 points. Tennessee had 26 and Wisconsin 24.

Jesse Williams of Southern California repeated as men's high jump champion with a personal best 7-7 1/4.

Chris Solinsky of Wisconsin was the surprise winner of the men's 5,000 in 14:11.71. Josphat Boit of Arkansas, winner of the 10,000 on Thursday night, was second at 14:13.81. One of the favorites, Robert Cheseret of Arizona, finished a disappointing seventh.

Oregon junior Tommy Skipper won his fourth NCAA pole vault title — two outdoors and two indoors — by clearing 18-8 1/4.

Colorado freshman Jennifer Barringer ran down Cassie Hunt of Illinois on the final stretch to win the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase in a personal-best 9:53.04.