June 10, 2009

Cumulative Decathlon Scoring
Individual Event Results (Day 1)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Miami's Kevin Dwyer went toe-to-toe with some of the country's best athletes Thursday, turning in a solid first day at the NCAA Decathlon Championship. The senior stands in 13th place with 3,919 points, just 78 points shy of his career best at the halfway point.

Oregon's Ashton Eaton, the No. 1-ranked decathlete entering the meet, has a strong lead with an NCAA Championship first-day record of 4,367 points, while Trinity Otto of Texas A&M is second at 4,138 points. However, only 104 points separate Dwyer from seventh place.

Dwyer enjoyed his best finish in the fourth event of the day, the high jump. He tied for third in the event, clearing 2.02 meters (6-feet, 7.5 inches) for 822 points. He passed until 1.84 meters, which he easily cleared, then passed again before successful tries at 1.90, 1.93 (second attempt), 1.96, 1.99 (second attempt) and 2.02 (second attempt). He failed in all three attempts at 2.05 meters.

In the first event -- the 100 meters -- the Arlington Heights, Ill., native nearly established a personal best with a time of 11.13 seconds for 832 points. He was 17th in the standings after that competition.

Dwyer finished 10th overall in the long jump, registering a mark of 7.20 meters (23-feet, 7.50-inches) for 862 points. He started with a jump of 6.90 meters on his first attempt before posting his best effort on the second, despite taking off almost a foot behind the board. His third try yielded a mark of 6.63 meters.

In the shot put, Dwyer finished 13th in the field. His opening throw was 13.15 meters (43-feet, 1.75-inches) and earned him 676 points. He did not improve on his second attempt (12.77) and fouled on his final try.

The final event of the day was the 400 meter dash, where Dwyer struggled. His time of 51.94 seconds was 19th among the 22 remaining competitors and earned 727 points.

"I didn't have any huge marks today, but they were all solid," Dwyer said. "I was happy with all of them except the shot put. In the 100, I felt great and got out good, but tightened up a bit. I wanted to have a stong long jump after being safe on the first.

"In the shot put, I wanted 45 or 46 feet, but I wasn't hitting positions correctly. I got into a rhythm in the high jump and am happy with the mark. I would have liked another bar. Compared to others, my time wasn't there in the 400, but it was still my season best. That gave me a little confidence coming out of the first day."

The competition concludes tomorrow with five more events beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The schedule for Thursday is the 110 Hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin and 1500 meters. He will attempt to break his own personal best in the event, 7,452 points.

"I know tomorrow's first two events are crucial to a good score," Dwyer admitted. "I think it will likely come down to the 1500. As long as I (have my best marks) for a good second day, I will be happy. We will see where I fall in the final standings."

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