NO ONE EXPECTED A BLOWOUT, but Peyton Bair wound up cruising to victory by 435 points – the third-highest in meet history – in becoming the event’s first American-born winner since ’11.
The Mississippi State junior didn’t even enter as the favorite – Nebraska’s Till Steinforth topped the formchart, understandable as the yearly leader with 8265 points. But Bair started with the pedal to the metal and Steinforth never looked near his best, eventually withdrawing with an injury.
100: A year after setting the meet record at 10.30, Bair blasted to 10.25, taking down the decathlon CR 10.27 by Ayden Owens-Delerme from ’22 in the process. His start had some scratching their head as he appeared to be moving before the gun, but there was no recall. Steinforth, who had the second-fastest PR in the field at 10.41, ran just 10.72 and was in 5th.
Long Jump: Steinforth made up ground, but not nearly as much as expected as his 24-2½ (7.38) was more than a foot down from his yearly best of 25-10¾ (7.89) set indoors. While the Cornhusker moved into 2nd overall, Bair actually improved his lead by 6 points after an outdoor PR 23-10¾ (7.28).
Shot: Ditto here for Steinforth, whose best of 48-2 (14.68) was nearly 2ft off his PR 50-1¾ (15.28) from the Drake Relays, where he scored 8265w. He knocked Bair’s lead down to 59 points after the Bulldog hit a solid 46-8 (14.22). Marcus Weaver of Arkansas was tops with an outdoor PR 50-8¾ (15.46).
High Jump: Bair tied his outdoor PR, 6-7 (2.01) to increase his lead to 141 over Steinforth, who managed 6-3½ (1.92) — far below the 6-7 he cleared while earning bronze in the World Indoor heptathlon in March. Projections were now showing Weaver to be Bair’s top threat after the Razorback tied his PR at 6-9½ (2.07) as co-leader in the event.
400: Bair flashed his speed again, running 46.00 to take down another Owens-Delerme deca CR (46.10). Meanwhile, Steinforth fell to the track in pain with a leg injury on the second curve. Bair’s lead ballooned to 287 points with a first-day score of 4479, which was 167 points ahead of the 8131 PR he set in finishing 2nd last year. His nearest pursuer was Brad Thomas of UCSB, although Weaver remained the only other projecting over 8000.
110 Hurdles: Bair finally lost ground to his PR score, but not by much as his 14.27 was 27 points fewer than the 14.08 from last year. His lead was trimmed by 4 points to 283 with BYU’s Ben Barton now closest on raw scores and Weaver (with his fourth PR of the meet) still next best on projections.
Discus: It was back to solid for Bair, whose 136-5 (41.59) was his third-best ever. Weaver led the event at 154-11 (47.22) and was back in 2nd place overall, but that was 339 behind Bair.
Pole Vault: Disaster struck Weaver, who no-heighted. Bair was down at 15-1½ (4.61), but that was high enough to still lead by 309 – now over Louisville frosh Kenneth Byrd, who topped all vaulters with a PR 17-5 (5.31).
Javelin: Bair didn’t need a PR, but he threw one at 189-10 (57.87) to give him a lead of 426.
1500: Once again Bair didn’t need to PR but he did anyway, slicing nearly a second off his best at 4:35.69 to seal up his 8323 score. He was the only one of 14 in the field to PR in the final event. Thomas topped Kansas State’s Emil Uhlin by 29 points for runner-up honors at 7888, the meet’s lowest runner-up score since ’10 (7801).
“After the javelin I decided I was just going to go for it in the 15 and get over 8300,” Bair said about the final event.
MEN’S DECATHLON RESULTS
(June 11-12)
1. *Peyton Bair (MsSt) 8323 PR (CL) (7, x AmC)
(10.25 DCR, 23-10¾/7.28, 46-8/14.22, 6-7/2.01, 46.00 DCR [4479],14.27, 136-5/41.59, 15-1½/4.61, 189-10/57.87, 4:35.69 [3844]);
2. Brad Thomas (UCSB) 7888
(10.92, 23-6/7.16, 47-4½/14.44, 6-7/2.01, 48.32 [4192],15.65, 140-7/42.86, 13-1¾/4.01, 208-3/63.47, 4:23.24 [3696]);
3. *Emil Uhlin’ (KsSt-Swe) 7859 PR
(11.01, 21-½/6.41, 44-11/13.69, 6-6/1.98, 48.85 [3897],14.89, 147-11/45.10, 16-5¼/5.01, 171-6/52.28, 4:22.46 [3962]);
4. ***Kenneth Byrd (Louis) 7842
(10.97, 23-3½/7.10, 40-5/12.32, 6-8¼/2.04, 48.98 [4033],14.60, 130-8/39.83, 17-5/5.31, 164-1/50.03, 4:44.32 [3809]);
5. Grant Levesque (Hous) 7797
(10.59, 23-1¾/7.05, 45-9¾/13.96, 6-2¼/1.89, 49.10 [4068],13.99, 136-9/41.69, 15-9¼/4.81, 150-0/45.73, 4:40.65 [3729]);
6. *Ben Barton (BYU) 7777
(10.67, 23-0/7.01, 41-7/12.67, 6-7/2.01, 46.59 [4190],14.22, 120-11/36.86, 14-1¾/4.31, 169-11/51.79, 4:33.76 [3587]);
7. Alexander Jung’ (Ks-Ger) 7746 PR
(10.94, 22-4½/6.82, 48-6¾/14.80, 6-1¼/1.86, 49.99 [3916],14.90, 149-1/45.44, 15-9¼/4.81, 172-0/52.44, 4:34.51 [3830]);
8. *Colby Eddowes’ (ArSt-Aus) 7725 PR
(10.88, 24-3/7.39, 38-11¾/11.88, 6-8¼/2.04, 48.6
(17 [4112],13.67, 126-7/38.59, 14-9½/4.51, 154-3/47.02, 4:44.71 [3613]);
9. *Landon Helms (Boise) 7696 PR; 10. *Paul Kallenberg’ (Louis-Ger) 7669; 11. *Cole Wilson’ (HPt-Can) 7662 PR; 12. **Joshua Mooney (UConn) 7662; 13. Nick Bianco (Co) 7651; 14. **Ryan Gregory (LBSt) 7634; 15. *Diarmuid O’Connor’ (UConn-Ire) 7580; 16. *Tayton Klein (Ks) 7554; 17. **Andreas Hantson’ (Pur-Est) 7518; 18. ***Brayden Richards (AF) 7488; 19. **Jaden Roskelley (BYU) 7475;… dnf—Marcus Weaver (Ar), *Till Steinforth’ (Nb-Ger), *Edgar Campre’ (Mia-Por), ***Abraham Vogelsang’ (Ia-Nor), *Maxwell Forte (Duke).
Decathlon Top 5 Leaders By Event
100: 1. Bair 1035; 2. Levesque 954; 3. Campre 947; 4. Barton 935; 5. Steinforth 924;… 13. Thomas 878;… 18. Byrd 867; 19. Uhlin 858
LJ: 1. Bair 1916; 2. Steinforth 1829; 3. Klein 1822; 4. Eddowes 1796; 5. Levesque 1780; 6. Thomas 1730;… 8. Byrd 1705… 20. Uhlin 1535;
SP: 1. Bair 2658; Steinforth 2599; 3. Levesque 2506; 4. Campre 2503; 5. Thomas 2485;… 21. Byrd 2331; 22. Uhlin 2244
HJ: 1. Bair 3471; 2. Steinforth 3330; 3. Weaver 3303; 4. Thomas 3298; 5. Eddowes 3235;… =7. Levesque 3211;… =10. Byrd 3171;… 18. Uhlin 3029
400: 1. Bair 4479; 2. Thomas 4192; 3. Barton 4190; 4. Eddowes 4112; 5. Weaver 4090; 6. Levesque 4068;… 9. Byrd 4033;…17. Uhlin 3897
110H: 1. Bair 5419; 2. Barton 5136; 3. Eddowes 5130; 4. Levesque 5044; 5. Thomas 4965; 6. Byrd 4932;… 15. Uhlin 4760
DT: 1. Bair 6116; 2. Weaver 5777; 3. Eddowes 5766; 4. Levesque 5743; 5. Barton 5737; 6. Thomas 5688; 7. Byrd 5593;… 10. Uhlin 5529
PV: 1. Bair 6909; 2. Byrd 6600; 3. Levesque 6595; 4. Eddowes 6529; 5. Uhlin 6442;… 11. Thomas 6308
JT: 1. Bair 7615; 2. Byrd 7189; 3. Levesque 7121; 4. Thomas 7098; 5. Eddowes 7074; 6. Uhlin 7064.
