STANFORD, Calif. – Harrison Williams became the first Stanford decathlete to win a conference title in 24 years when he captured the Pac-12 crown on Sunday at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Williams, a fourth-year junior, scored 7,925 points to win by 1,641 points. Williams' total is the highest in this meet since 2013, and raised the possibility that it could be the largest decathlon margin of victory in conference history, though records were not immediately available.
Williams won seven of the 10 events, setting one personal record – a discus throw of 141-1 (43.01 meters) – plus one personal decathlon best (shot put) and tying another (pole vault). Williams could have stopped after the eighth event and still had enough points to win.
"It feels great," Williams said. "Especially on my home track. That means a lot."
This was Williams' first decathlon at home and it was the first decathlon of any kind there since 2007. Williams took the lead on the second event, went on a streak of seven consecutive event victories. In no event did he place lower than second.
This is Williams' second conference title overall, joining his Pac-12 4x400 victory in 2016. That was Stanford's first championship in that event since 1954.
"He's certainly a gamer," said Michael Eskind, Stanford's associate head coach and multis coach. "You want someone that competes at their highest level when it matters most."
The total was the second-best of Williams' career, trailing only his school-record 8,032 from the 2016 NCAA Championships. An 8,000 total seemed possible until Williams fell short of his hopes in the javelin with a 150-8 (45.92m, but he finished strong with a 4:37.91 in the 1,500, with help from Colorado's Andrew Ghizzone, the overall runner-up.
"We made a plan, he'd take the first lap out at 73 and I'd take the second lap out at 73 and we'd battle it out for the finish," Williams said. "I wouldn't have been able to finish the 1,500 that quickly without him."
Along with the pole vault – he cleared 17-2 ¾ (5.25m) -- Williams' running events are his strengths. However, he lacks the training foundation of past years because of an injury that prevented from running for about six weeks in January and February. Because of that, his races have been a bit behind his own standards.
"Speed and conditioning need to come," Williams said. "This is probably the least conditioned I've been in my four years here, so I've got a lot of work to do before NCAA's (June 6-7 in Eugene, Ore.). If I get back to 47-low in the 400 and 10.6 in the 100 with the meet I had, I'd go 8,100-8,200."
Said Eskind, "He's such a good runner to begin with … the 100, 400, hurdles and the 15 … I don't want to say those are easy gains, but those are events that he's going to keep getting better and better with more reps and more competitive efforts. I don't know how many points left that are out there, but there are certainly points out there."
Williams has only to be among the top 24 in nation through the conference championships to advance to the NCAA Championships. Williams is No. 5. No. 1 is Kentucky's Tim Duckworth at 8,145.
Williams was fourth as a freshman and fifth as a sophomore – with the highest fifth-place score in collegiate history – before redshirting last year. He has advanced in the jumps and throws over the past two years and is much more consistent in those events, and at a higher level.
"We missed a lot of time," Eskind said. "We've had some hard days because he's been frustrated with stuff because he's not where he wants to be, but you just got to keep reminding him that he's going to be where he wants to be when he gets to the NCAA Championships. This is a big step toward that. He's just getting better and better."
Stanford's only other previous conference decathlon champion was Travis Clark, who won the Pac-10 crown in 1994. The event was not contested at the conference championships until 1973, long after Bob Mathias, the Olympic decathlon champion in 1948 and 1952, competed at Stanford. In the 45 previous Pac-8/Pac-10/Pac-12 decathlons, Williams' 7,925 was reached only by five other winners.
"Certainly, he stamps his name in the book with Ashton Eaton, Jeremy Taiwo, Pau Tonnesen, Bob Mathias and all the greats," Eskind said. "He's just as good as those guys for sure. I'm excited for the rest of this year and moving forward to next year."
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Sunday's Results
Pac-12 Championships
At Cobb Track and Angell Field
Men
Team leaders: 1, Colorado 20; 2, Stanford 11; 3, USC 5.
Decathlon: 1, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 7,925; 8, Jack Herkert (Stanford) 3,606.
Harrison Williams, by event (event, place in event, mark, points):
First day: 100 – 2, 11.06, 847; Long jump – 1, 23-8 ¾ (7.23m), 869; Shot put – 1, 44-11 ¾ (13.71m), 711; High jump – 1, 6-5 (1.96m), 767; 400 – 1, 48.67, 877. First-day total: 4,071. Second day: 110 hurdles – 1, 14.44, 918; Discus – 1, 141-1 (43.01m), PB, 726; Pole vault – 1, 17-2 ¾ (5.25m), 988; Javelin – 2, 150-8 (45.92m), 528; 1,500 – 2, 4:37.91, 694. Second-day total: 3,854.
Women
Team leaders – 1, Washington State 10; 2, UCLA 9; 3, Arizona 6.
Heptathlon – 1, Alissa Brooks-Johnson (Washington State) 5,977.
PB = personal best.
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Stanford plays host to the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships on May 12-13 on Cobb Track and Angell Field. Tickets are $10/adult; $5/student, youth, seniors. Fans can save $5 per person by purchasing their tickets online, and in-advance. To secure your tickets for the Championships, visit gostanford.com/pac12track.