FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In his first senior competition in a United States singlet, Stanford decathlete Harrison Williams placed second at the Thorpe Cup, a multi-event dual between the U.S. and Germany, at University of Arkansas.
Williams, who essentially completed his sophomore season Saturday, scored 7,849 points, just 27 points behind U.S. teammate Scott Filip's winning 7,876 effort. Williams' score was the second-highest of his career and the second-highest in Stanford history, behind his 8,032 while finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships in June.
The highlight for Williams may have been as big psychologically as it was for the points. In his first competition since a no-height in the pole vault derailed his hopes for a lifetime best and high finish at the Olympic Trials early this month, Williams cleared 17-2 ¾ -- six inches higher than he had ever jumped in a decathlon. It also was only ¾ of an inch off his all-time best -- a 17-3 ½ jump that came at altitude and indoors in Albuquerque.
Williams scored 988 points in the pole vault, believed to be the most he'd ever scored in a decathlon event, and beat the rest of the field by eight inches. Williams made one concession after his Trials experience, taking his first jump at 14-11 rather than 15-7, his opening height in Eugene. He missed his first at 14-11 and cleared on the second and made three other second tries during his progression to 17-2 ¾, which he made on his first try. He took two at 17-6 ½ before electing to forego his final attempt.
Williams closed with a 4:34.70 in the 1,500. Ultimately, he would have needed to run 4:30.47 to win the competition.
The U.S. took the first five places and won the team titles in both the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon. Filip, the winner, was an All-America at Rice in 2015 and placed 10th at the Olympic Trials.
The Thorpe Cup closes the book on the 2016 Stanford track and field season, ending a year in which the Cardinal men's and women's teams combined for its most points at an NCAA Outdoor Championship meet since 2011, had six top-five individual finishes in the meet, and qualified seven for the Olympic Trials.
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Thorpe Cup
At University of Arkansas
Decathlon
Team score -- United States 38,845, Germany 37,427.
Individual leaders – 1, Scott Filip (U.S.) 7,876; 2, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 7,849.
Williams' results (place in event, mark, points):
First day
100 – 5, 10.81 (903); Long jump – 11, 21-11 1/2 (6.69m) (741); Shot put – 10, 43-6 ½ (13.27m) (684); High jump – 7, 6-5 (1.96m) (767); 400 – 1, 47.51 (933). First-day total: 4,028.
Second day
110 hurdles – 1, 14.35 (930); Discus – 12, 126-8 (38.60m) (636); Pole vault – 1, 17-2 3/4 (5.25m) (988); Javelin – 13, 156-1 (47.59m) (553); 1,500 – 2, 4:34.70 (714). Second-day total: 3,821. Overall: 7,849.