Kentucky’s Tim Duckworth joined Ashton Eaton as the only athletes to win the NCAA heptathlon and decathlon in the same year, churning out a steady procession of marks that gradually put him far out of reach of the competition.
The 21-year-old senior—British by nationality but raised in Arizona—finished 199 points ahead of Georgia’s Karl Saluri, his 8336 total moving him to No. 7 in collegiate history.
That busted his PR of 8145—set at the Spec Towns meet in April—by 191 points, despite only hitting two individual PRs (400 & javelin).
He opened up with a solid 10.57 in the 100, behind Saluri’s 10.50. Then he popped the best long jump ever in an NCAA 10-eventer, 26-3½ (8.01). That gave him a 62-point lead, though Saluri wrestled it back by taking the shot with a 47-3½ (14.41); Duckworth hit 43-1¾ (13.15).
The high jump, though, is another Duckworth speciality, and he leaped over 6-11¾ (2.13), but found himself clutching his ankle in pain afterward.
After getting the joint taped and being told by coach Toby Stevenson to shake it off, Duckworth closed the day with a 48.78 PR. That put him at 4495, well ahead of Georgia frosh Johannes Erm’s 4321. Harrison Williams of Stanford held 3rd at 4311 after notching PRs in the first 3 events, with Rice’s Scott Filip (4278) and Saluri (4268) rounding out the top 5.
Day 2 got off well for Duckworth, who led the hurdles in 14.37. Williams hit disaster in the form of hurdle 9, losing his balance and slamming into the final hurdle with his hands, earning first a DNF and then a DQ. He dropped out after the discus.
Said Duckworth of his own day, “It started off well, and I just kept the momentum going after the hurdles into discus.” There he threw 140-3 (42.76); Erm, in 2nd, picked up some points with his 145-0 (44.21).
The vault, where he has a best of 17-3 (5.26), promised to be good for the Wildcat. He came through with a 16-9¼ (5.11) clearance. A PR javelin of 187-10 (57.27) gave him a 330-point lead going into the 1500, one of his weaker events.
“I feel like everything is coming together,” he said. “I just have one more piece that I need to fit together, and that’s the 1500. I think today it was a bigger step for myself to run a good one.” (He finished last, but his 5:01.27 missed his PR by just 0.43.)
“It was a roller coaster out there this year,” said Duckworth, who won half the events, including all three jumps. “I’m happy with how it is going. I have Europeans later this year and I hope to improve on the 1500 and the 8336.”
Saluri passed his Bulldog teammate with a strong 4:24.49 in the 1500, moving to 2nd in a PR 8137 to Erm’s 8046 PR. It marked the first time since ’92 that two from the same team had made the top 3.
NCAA MEN’S DECATHLON RESULTS
(June 06–07)
1. Tim Duckworth’ (Ky) 8336 PR (CL)
(10.57, 26-3½/8.01, 43-1¾/13.15, 6-11¾/2.13, 48.78 [4495-1],
14.37, 140-3/42.76, 16-9¼/5.11, 187-10/57.27, 5:01.27 [3841]);
2. Karl Saluri’ (Ga) 8137 PR
(10.50, 25-3¼/7.70w, 47-3½/14.41, 6-0/1.83, 48.14 [4268-5],
15.25, 140-11/42.95, 15-9¼/4.81, 186-8/56.91, 4:24.49 [3869]);
3. ***Johannes Erm’ (Ga) 8046 PR
(10.86w, 26-2¼/7.98, 44-2/13.46, 6-6/1.98, 48.34 [4321-2],
14.88, 145-0/44.21, 15-9¼/4.81, 181-1/55.21, 4:54.46 [3725]);
4. Joe Delgado (Louis) 7852 PR
(10.88w, 23-7½/7.20, 45-3/13.79, 6-4¾/1.95, 48.41 [4112-8],
15.13, 131-11/40.20, 15-1½/4.61, 177-2/54.01, 4:22.36 [3740]);
5. Scott Filip (Rice) 7803
(10.66, 25-6¼/7.78w, 42-7½/12.99, 6-7/2.01, 49.13 [4278-4],
15.17, 124-2/37.84, 14-5½/4.41, 176-2/53.71, 4:37.35 [3525]);
6. Tim Ehrhardt (MiSt) 7736
(10.87, 24-4½/7.43w, 41-9¼/12.73, 6-7/2.01, 47.92 [4185-6],
15.90, 110-3/33.61, 16-5¼/5.01, 165-7/50.49, 4:27.35 [3551]);
7. **Markus Ballengee (Lib) 7722 PR
(11.24w, 21-8/6.60w, 43-5¼/13.24, 6-7/2.01, 49.72 [3851-17],
14.72, 142-8/43.48, 15-9¼/4.81, 179-0/54.56, 4:30.17 [3871]);
8. Kevin Nielsen (BYU) 7695 PR
(10.93w, 24-4¼/7.42, 41-10/12.75, 6-7/2.01, 49.30 [4103-9],
15.11, 122-9/37.41, 15-1½/4.61, 166-1/50.63, 4:28.70 [3592]);
9. *Gabe Moore (Ar) 7670
(11.02, 23-2/7.06, 46-1¼/14.05, 6-3½/1.92, 49.51 [3983-14],
14.86, 150-10/45.97, 14-9½/4.51, 187-10/57.25, 4:57.73 [3687]);
10. **Nick Guerrant (MiSt) 7619 PR
(10.90w, 23-6/7.16, 41-2½/12.56, 6-6/1.98, 49.67 [3990-13],
15.11, 142-0/43.29, 14-5½/4.41, 182-0/55.48, 4:43.80 [3629]);
11. *Trent Nytes (Wi) 7609 PR
(11.03w, 24-2½/7.38w, 43-8¾/13.33, 6-8¼/2.04, 49.34 [4131-7],
15.27, 134-8/41.04, 13-5¾/4.11, 184-11/56.37, 4:45.87 [3478]);
12. Adrian Riley’ (UTSA) 7520
(10.82, 25-11½/7.91, 40-4¼/12.30, 6-4¾/1.95, 51.12 [4086-10],
15.51, 140-1/42.70, 13-9¾/4.21, 176-6/53.81, 4:52.51 [3434]);
13. William Dougherty (Ia) 7467
(11.02w, 22-7¼/6.89w, 46-11¾/14.32, 6-3½/1.92, 49.76 [3949-16],
15.07, 122-11/37.47, 14-9½/4.51, 164-7/50.17, 4:35.31 [3518]);
14. **Aaron Booth (KsSt) 7458
(11.13w, 23-2¾/7.08w, 42-6/12.95, 6-3½/1.92, 51.02 [3828-18],
15.85, 138-8/42.28, 14-9½/4.51, 188-9/57.55, 4:36.04 [3630]);
15. *Benjamin Ose (Dart) 7237
(11.01w, 22-10/6.96w, 38-7½/11.77, 5-10¾/1.80, 50.39 [3678-20],
15.62, 126-1/38.43, 15-5½/4.71, 171-10/52.38, 4:36.32 [3559]);
16. Derek Jacobus (Ar) 7236
(10.93w, 24-1¾/7.36, 43-4½/13.22, 6-2¼/1.89, 49.29 [4010-11],
16.25, 119-6/36.43, 14-5½/4.41, 153-10/46.90, 4:44.61 [3226]);
17. Sawyer Smith (Wi) 6583
(10.88w, 23-10¾/7.28, 46-4¾/14.14, 6-2¼/1.89, 50.47 [4004-12],
16.04, 138-3/42.15, 14-5½/4.41, 123-8/37.70, dnf [2579]);
18. *Nathan Hite (TxAM) 6518
(10.99, 20-3¾/6.19w, 45-5¼/13.85, 6-1¼/1.86, 49.57 [3724-19],
15.63, 131-8/40.14, 14-9½/4.51, 164-2/50.05, dnf [2794]);
… dnfs—
Harrison Williams (Stan) 4957 (9)
(10.63, 25-1¾/7.66, 45-8½/13.93, 6-4¾/1.95, 48.01 [4311-3], dq, 128-3/39.10);
**TJ Lawson (Kent) 3965 (5)
(10.96, 23-3½/7.10, 45-9¾/13.96, 6-4¾/1.95, 50.92 [3965-15]);
Rauno Liitmäe’ (Mo) 3622 (5)
(11.38, 21-6¾/6.57, 45-2¼/13.77, 6-1¼/1.86, 51.70 [3622-21]);
*Steele Wasik (Tx) 3030 (4)
(11.04, 22-9/6.93, 43-1½/13.14, 6-2¼/1.89);
**Nathaniel Mechler’ (Hous) 2432 (4)
(10.83, 24-5/7.44, 39-8¾/12.11, nh);
Hunter Veith (Wich) 2344 (3)
(10.96, 23-3½/7.10, 40-11½/12.48).
DECATHLON LEADERS BY EVENT
100: 1. Saluri 975; 2. Duckworth 959; 3. Williams 945; 4. Filip 938; 5. Riley 901; 6. Mechler 899; 7. Erm 892; 8. Ehrhardt 890; 9. Smith 888; 10. Delgado 888
LJ: 1. Duckworth 2022; 2. Saluri 1960; 3. Erm 1948; 4. Filip 1943; 5. Riley 1939; 6. Williams 1920; 7. Mechler 1819; 8. Ehrhardt 1808; 9. Nielsen 1791; 10. Jacobus 1776
SP: 1. Saluri 2713; 2. Duckworth 2698; 3. Williams 2644; 4. Erm 2643; 5. Filip 2610; 6. Riley 2564; 7. Smith 2506; 8. Delgado 2465; 9. Ehrhardt 2459; 10. Jacobus 2457
HJ: 1. Duckworth 3623; 2. Erm 3428; 3. Filip 3423; 4. Williams 3402; 5. Saluri 3366; 6. Riley 3322; 7. Nytes 3286; 8. Ehrhardt 3272; 9. Nielsen 3256; 10. Delgado 3223
400: 1. Duckworth 4495; 2. Erm 4321; 3. Williams 4311; 4. Filip 4278; 5. Saluri 4268; 6. Ehhardt 4185; 7. Nytes 4131; 8. Delgado 4112; 9. Nielsen 4103; 10. Riley 4086
110H: 1. Duckworth 5422; 2. Erm 5185; 3. Filip 5107; 4. Saluri 5088; 5. Nytes 4948; 6. Delgado 4946; 7. Nielsen 4939; 8. Ehrhardt 4929; 9. Riley 4875; 10. Moore 4850
DT: 1. Duckworth 6143; 2. Erm 5936; 3. Saluri 5813; 4. Filip 5728; 5. Moore 5637; 6. Nytes 5634; 7. Delgado 5615; 8. Riley 5595; 9. Guerrant 5558; 10. Nielsen 5551
PV: 1. Delgado 7087; 2. Erm 6788; 3. Saluri 6665; 4. Filip 6462; 5. Delgado 6408; 6. Ehrhardt 6378; 7. Nielsen 6344; 8. Moore 6400; 9. Ballangee 6323; 10. Guerrant 6292
JT: 1. Duckworth 7784; 2. Erm 7454; 3. Saluri 7356; 4. Filip 7106; 5. Moore 7997; 6. Delgado 7056; 7. Ballangee 6979; 8. Ehrhardt 6974;9. Guerrant 6962; 10. Nytes 6965
