“I had no idea I’d do this well. Coming here after placing seventh at Texas A&M, I thought I’d be near the end (of the pack),” Cobbs said after claiming a stunning victory Thursday at Memorial Stadium.

Cobbs she led KU’s Ashley Pyle by 171 points after four events Wednesday wrapped up the title on an overcast, chilly day Thursday.

She finished with 4,453 points, 78 more than Pyle. Western Kentucky’s Holly Wilder placed third with 4,127 points, while KU’s Erika Hamel notched fourth (3,892), K-State’s Heather Robinson fifth (3,790) and KU’s Megan Wray sixth (3,551).

It marked Cobbs’ first college victory in two tries.

Last month she debuted in the heptathlon at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station, Texas.

“It feels great. The competition is so much tougher in college,” said Cobbs, a native of Houston. “I wish I could have scored more points to rank higher in the Big 12, but winning at the Kansas Relays is really exciting.

“My coach kept saying to me, ‘You PRed, you PRed,”’ she added, referring to a personal best mark. “I said, ‘I don’t care. I won. I just want to win.”’

Cobbs showed some toughness in winning on a chilly day.

“Yesterday it was sunny. I was really sweating. I got a little tan,” Cobbs said. “Today was really cold. My hamstrings are sore. It was difficult running into that wind today.”

Cobbs faced a stiff wind during the backstretch on both laps of the final event of the heptathlon the 800 run.

“I knew I had to finish within 13 seconds of the Kansas runner to win,” Cobbs said of Pyle, a junior from Dodge City. “She pulled ahead and I was running into that wind and I started to get scared. It was really hard to get through that wind.”

Cobbs, however, pushed hard and finished the event-ending 800 in 2:31.64. That was good for third, less than five seconds behind 800 winner Pyle, who crossed in 2:27.03.

“I knew she (Pyle) was good after competing against her at Texas A&M,” Cobbs said. “She’s really strong in the 800 and was tough to beat.”

Pyle placed first in the 800 and long jump (17-1 1/2) Thursday. Cobbs placed third in the 800 and long jump and fourth in the javelin, good enough for the overall win.