USC’s Viktor Fajoyomi and UCLA’s Alexis Walker are the leaders in the multi events after the first day of competition at the Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships at the Mooberry Track & Field Complex on the campus of Washington State University. With 12 competitors in each competition, Fajoyomi has ammassed 4,181 points in the decathlon, while Walker had collected 3,345 points in the heptathlon.
It is a tight race in the decathlon as Fajoyomi leads a pack that includes three OREGON Ducks in the top five, including two-time defending Pac-12 Champion Dakotah Keys, who has collected 3,964 points for second place. Fellow Ducks Mitch Modin (3,886) and Alec Fellows (3,841) are in third and fourth place, respectively, with COLORADO’s Emory Brock clinching fifth after Day One with 3,743 points.
Fajoyomi placed first in the long jump with a mark of 24-8.25/7.52m and in the high jump, posting a mark of 7-0.25/2.14m, then had top-three finishes in the 100-meter dash (third, 11.21) and 400 meters (second, 49.30) to help build his overall lead. Meanwhile, Keys had top-three finishes in four of five events on Saturday, placing second in the 100 meter (11.16), shot put (42-6.25/12.96m) and high jump (6-8.75/2.05), and earned third place in the long jump with a mark of 23-7.25/7.19m. Meanwhile, freshman teammate Modin was first in the shot put (42-9.75/13.05m) and the 400-meter dash (49.09) to remain within striking distance of Fajoyomi and Keys.
Last year, Keys came from behind to win the decathlon crown by a mere three points, the closest-ever margin of victory since the event was first contested in 1973. He scored 8,001 points, the fifth-highest winning total in the history of the meet.
In the heptathlon, ARIZONA’s Amber Passalaqua is on Walker’s heels with 3,189 points, followed closely behind by USC’s Amalie Iuel, with 3,186 points. OREGON’s Daphne Chambers is in fourth place with 3,110 points and WASHINGTON STATE’s Alissa Brooks-Johnson rounds out the top five with 3,042 points.
Walker built her lead early, taking first in the 100-meter hurdles to start the day, posting a time of 14.23 seconds. She followed up with another win in the high jump, with her best jump coming in at 5-11.5/1.82m. Chambers was the winner in the shot put, out-distancing second-place finisher COLORADO’s Abrianna Torres (40-7.5/12.38m) by nearly three feet with a throw of 43-3.75/13.20. The heptathlon competition wrapped up with Iuel winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.43 seconds. Passalaqua has been consistent so far in the competition, placing second in the 100-meter hurdles (14.30), and third in the high jump (5-4.5/1.64m), shot put (37-2.5/11.34m) and 200-meter dash (25.38) to hold steady in second place overall.
Day two of the mutli-events competition at the Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships continues tomorrow, Sunday, May 11 at 11 a.m. with back-to-back decathlon events - 110-meter hurdles, followed by the discus. The heptathlon gets underway at noon with the long jump.
Live results will be posted throughout the day at http://pac-12.com/2014-pac-12-track-field-championships or by visiting: http://results.flashresults.com/2014_Meets/Outdoor/5-10-Pac12/. A full schedule, final results and photos from the competition can also be found on the track & field championships page at http://pac-12.com/2014-pac-12-track-field-championships.