FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, May 06-07 — Pride of place went to USATF Decathlon Championships winner Garrett Scantling with a PR by 220 points, an 8867 for the yearly world lead. Behind him Georgia soph Kyle Garland destroyed the Collegiate Record with an 8720 tally and in 3rd Olympian Zach Ziemek scored 8573, a 102-point improvement of his best set at the OT last summer. They’ll be the World Champs team.
Tokyo 4th-placer Scantling’s total raised him to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. list, threatening Dan O’Brien’s hold on No. 2 in that compilation (with a then-WR 8891 from ’92).
Garland’s CR exceeded the previous record of 8528 put up by Ayden Owens-Delerme of Arkansas in April and also the American-born best, Trey Hardee’s 8465 from 2006.
Patience had to be a byword for the winner. In a riveting competition, Scantling, who is coached in his hometown of Jacksonville by his former Georgia mentor Petros Kyprianou, reached a PR in the long jump 25-2½ (7.68) on Day 1 and began Day 2 with lifetime bests in the hurdles (13.59) and discus 167-5 (51.04). But it wasn’t until he equaled the 16-10¾ (5.15) Ziemek had cleared first in the vault (also equaling Scantling’s outdoor PR in the discipline) that the Georgia alum finally got ahead of current Bulldog Garland on points.
Before that, Garland had dropped bomb after unexpected bomb of his own, notching PRs of 10.63 in the 100, 25-9½ (7.86) in the long jump and 13.71 in the hurdles. Garland led from event No. 2, the long jump, onward until Scantling’s persistence at last gave him driver’s-seat traction.
Not that Garland had abandoned his mission. He cleared 15-11 (4.85) in the vault, a quarter-inch (1cm) improvement of his lifetime best.
Scantling launched his javelin out to a serviceable 220-4 (67.16) on his second throw and thus opened his margin over Garland to 166 points (8226–8060). This was despite the younger decathlete’s throwing 195-7 (59.63), yet another PR. Ziemek held a realistically insurmountable 3rd at 7890 after 9 events.
Olympic Trials runner-up Steven Bastien had stood poised for possible improvement of his 8485 best from the OT after finishing 4th in the long jump (25-2w/7.67) but drifted back from his previous peak form thereafter despite taking the 400 with a PR 47.44.
Bastien, who would score 8135 for 4th overall, picked up the 1500 win in 4:30.75, taking the lead on the last curve from former Div. III standout Dylan Cooper.
Thereafter the calculus of what damage Scantling and Garland might do to the all-time list came into play. Scantling owned a PR of 4:35.54 and needed just 5:25.56 to better his 8647 deca best, 5:15.54 to score 8700 and 4:57.62 to reach 8800.
But would 8800 — a tally only 3 other Americans have reached, all of whom won Olympic golds — be enough to stave off Garland? The Georgia soph could prevail after all were he to finish c12.6 up on Scantling in the metric mile.
In order to win Scantling needed to run. And he did, staying ahead of Garland for the first 3 laps and hanging onto a 4.65 edge with a lap to go. Then the collegian came hunting, although Scantling’s overall win looked safe.
As the two tired men covered the last 400 in “golden hour” sun-setting light, Garland forged ahead with a 73.60 split to finish 3.16 up on Scantling in 4:43.21. The 1500 marked Garland’s sixth event PR of the competition.
With trademark red headband still in place and racing in sunglasses, Garland tore off the shades and threw them, manifestly exultant after crossing the line.
Scantling’s final circuit took 81.41 and brought him across the line a place behind in 8th at 4:46.37, the third-fastest of his career. He stagger-stepped over to lane 6, dropped to his knees and then rolled onto his back, a fatigued but joyful athlete.
How did he feel about the win and stellar jump up on the all-time list? “Tired,” Scantling said. “For some reason this was harder than my PB race, but honestly, this atmosphere was really chill. It was a rolling schedule and I think that that’s what helped everybody here. The scores that we put up were monster, I mean monster scores. So I’m just happy to be in the position that I am and carry on the tradition of American decathletes.”
He continued, “It feels great. It’s always good to know that your hard work is solidified and validated. This just means that I need to get back in the lab and put in a little bit more work and sharpen up before Eugene. Because this is the whole reason why we did this, to have this 2½ months to peak again and put in the work we need and not have to rush through it.
“I feel good with the world lead. It puts a good score out there. I just can’t wait to see what other guys can put up in the near future.”
USATF DECATHLON RESULTS
1. Garrett Scantling (Nik) 8867 PR (WL, AL) (7, 14 W; 3, 6 A)
(10.68, 25-2½/7.68 PR, 52-10¾/16.12, 6-8¼/2.04, 48.38 [4503—2],
13.59 PR, 167-5/51.04 PR, 16-10¾/5.15 =out PR, 220-4/67.16, 4:46.37 [4364]);
2. Kyle Garland (Ga) 8720 CR (old CR 8528 Ayden Owens-Delerme’ [Ar] ’22) (old AmCR 8465 Trey Hardee [Tx] ’06) (8, x A)
(10.63 PR, 25-9½/7.86 PR, 53-11¼/16.44, 7-1/2.16, 49.04 [4660—1],
13.71 PR, 151-5/46.16, 15-11/4.85 out PR, 195-7/59.63 PR, 4:43.21 PR [4060]);
3. Zach Ziemek (unat) 8573 PR
(10.56, 25-0/7.62, 49-1½/14.97, 6-10¾/2.10, 50.44 [4404—3],
14.71, 169-5/51.64 PR, 16-10¾/5.15, 197-2/60.10, 4:39.60 [4169]);
4. Steven Bastien (unat) 8135
(10.76, 25-2/7.67w, 44-8/13.61, 6-7/2.01, 47.44 [4345],
14.49, 122-9/37.41, 16-2¾/4.95, 173-4/52.83, 4:30.75 [3790]);
5. Hunter Price (FKEl) 7897
(10.81, 24-4½/7.43w, 44-1¼/13.44, 6-9½/2.07, 48.96 [4246],
14.35, 122-8/37.40, 14-7¼/4.45, 184-10/56.34, 4:40.00 [3651]);
6. Dylan Cooper (unat) 7876 PR
(11.20, 23-1¼/7.04, 46-10¾/14.29, 6-6/1.98, 51.40 [3922],
14.43, 152-5/46.46, 14-7¼/4.45, 201-2/61.32, 4:31.71 [3954]);
7. Jack Flood (unat) 7759
(11.00, 22-7¾/6.90, 42-6/12.95, 6-8¼/2.04, 49.99 [3970],
13.86, 132-2/40.28, 15-3/4.65, 190-1/57.95, 4:50.53 [3789]);
8. Jackson Walker (unat) 7295
(11.34, 20-8½/6.31, 41-10¾/12.77, 6-1¼/1.86, 50.36 [3571],
15.14w, 139-9/42.60, 14-11/4.55, 188-1/57.34, 4:36.93 [3724]);
9. William Eggers (unat) 7030
(11.06, 22-2½/6.77, 37-3¼/11.36, 6-0/1.83, 49.56 [3663],
15.66w, 128-2/39.07, 13-7¼/4.15, 184-3/56.17, 4:51.52 [3367]);
10. Josh Cogdill (unat) 6684; 11. Kyle Martin (JAC) 5984; 12. Joseph Delgado (unat) 5686; 13. Mat Clark (unat) 5413;
… dnf—Devon Williams (NYAC)
(10.76, 25-4½/7.73, 45-8½/13.93, 6-2¼/1.89, 48.57 [4218], 13.92, 158-2/48.22, nh, dns [833]).
— Decathlon Top 5s After Each Event —
100: 1. Ziemek 961; 2. Garland 945; 3. Scantling 933; 4. Bastien & Williams 915
Long Jump: 1. Garland 1970; 2. Ziemek 1926; 3. Scantling 1913; 4. Williams 1907; 5. Bastien 1892
Shot: 1. Garland 2848; 2. Scantling 2772; 3. Ziemek 2714; 4. Williams 2631; 5. Bastien 2596
High Jump: 1. Garland 3801; 2. Scantling 3612; 3. Ziemek 3610; 4. Bastien 3409; 5. Williams 3383
400: 1. Garland 4660; 2. Scantling 4503; 3. Ziemek 4404; 4. Bastien 4345; 5. Price 4246
110 Hurdles: 1. Garland 5672; 2. Scantling 5531; 3. Ziemek 5289; 4. Bastien 5257; 5. Williams 5203
Discus: 1. Garland 6463; 2. Scantling 6423; 3. Ziemek 6194; 4. Williams 6036; 5. Bastien 5869
Pole Vault: 1. Scantling 7380; 2. Garland 7328; 3. Ziemek 7151; 4. Bastien 6764; 5. Price 6534
Javelin: 1. Scantling 8226; 2. Garland 8060; 3. Ziemek 7890; 4. Bastien 7395; 5. Price 7217
