Stanford sophomore Harrison Williams is seventh and on school-record pace after the first day of the decathlon Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.
Williams set three personal records among five events and has 4,097 points –29 more than his previous first-day best. He’s also 61 ahead of his pace when setting his third and most recent Stanford decathlon record (7,842), at the Texas Relays in March.
Stanford’s only other competitor Wednesday, Dylan Duvio, tied for 12th in the men’s pole vault. Duvio was third last year, but made only his opening height of 16-10 3/4 before cramping in his legs and hips hampered his attempts at 17-4 1/2.
Duvio easily had the height, but was unable to push his momentum through the jump and stalled out on the bar.
Williams, however, had a banner day. It began with a lifetime wind-legal best of 10.69 in the 100 meters. After an average long jump of 22-6 1/4, Williams put the shot 44-4 1/4 for another best.
He was slightly disappointed with his high jump, which topped out at 6-3 1/2, but he finished strong with a winning 400 of 47.06 for his third PR.
After the first day of last year’s NCAA Championships, Williams was sixth with 40 fewer points and wound up fourth. He is 241 points behind leader Zach Ziemek of Wisconsin, but still in a position to jump a few positions with a good day.
On Thursday, he has two of his strongest events, the 110 high hurdles and the pole vault, and is relatively swift in the 1,500 as well.
Though Williams, still only 20, already seemed assured of advancing to the Olympic Trials, but will earn an automatic berth by reaching the 7,900 Trials standard.
Williams seems likely to do so — he has established lifetime bests in all previous multi-event competitions that he has ever competed in, including all nine since he’s been at Stanford.
By David Kiefer/Stanford Athletics
By David Kiefer/Stanford Athletics
By David Kiefer/Stanford Athletics