AZUSA, Calif. – Stanford fifth-year senior Harrison Williams broke his own school decathlon record on Thursday at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University in a riveting duel.
Williams scored 8,112 points to place second to USC freshman Ayden Owens, who scored 8,130. The scores were the best in the world this year and marked only the second time in NCAA history that two decathletes scored more than 8,100 points in a regular-season competition (thanks to research from Erik Boal of Dyestat.com), with the 2014 Georgia Bulldog Decathlon being the other.
Owens now ranks as the No. 25 performer in collegiate history and Harrison is No. 29.
"It was unreal," Williams told Dyestat. "His setting PR after PR lit a fire under me."
Williams broke a Stanford multi-events record for the eighth time, and the fifth time in the decathlon. His previous decathlon mark of 8,032 had stood since the 2016 NCAA Championships, and was the highest fifth-place score in NCAA history.
Williams is the reigning NCAA indoor heptathlon (seven events) and Pac-12 decathlon champion. He did not register a single personal best on Wednesday and Thursday, but still set a lifetime best by 80 points.
The total virtually assures Williams of a berth to the NCAA Championships decathlon on June 5-6 in Austin, Texas. The top 24 in the country gain passage.
"I'm definitely excited for NCAA's," Williams said. "I definitely turn it up a notch when I get to big meets."
Williams was solid in every event, none of which he won. Owens took the lead in the first event on the first day, in the 100. Williams, who typically moves up on the second day, moved into second with his 48.01 in the 400 meters to conclude the first day.
Williams continued to close and bolted into the lead after eight events, going 16-8 ¾ (5.10m) to take a 16-point lead. After the javelin, Owens re-took the lead by 10 going into the final event, and extended it slightly by finishing third in the 1,500 to Williams' fourth.
In the heptathlon, Stanford's Allie Jones was 11th in her group, scoring 5,041 points. That makes her the No. 9 performer in Stanford history and No. 4 among freshmen.
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Bryan Clay Invitational
At Azusa Pacific University
Wednesday and Thursday
Men
Decathlon – 1, Ayden Owens (USC) 8,130; 2, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 8,112 (PB, school record).
Harrison Williams (event, place in event, mark, points, place in competition):
First day: 100 – 4, 10.88, 888 (4); LJ -- 5, 24-3 (7.39m), 908 (3); SP -- 5, 45-5 ¾ (13.86m), 720 (4); HJ – 6, 6-5 (1.96m), 767 (3); 400 – 4, 48.01, 909 (2). First-day total – 4,192.
Second day: 110 HH – 3, 14.29w, 937 (2); DT – 5, 139-9 (42.60m), 718 (2); PV – 2, 16-8 ¾ (5.10m), 941 (1); JT – 10, 162-1 (49.41m), 580 (2); 1,500 – 4, 4:30.16, 744 (2). Second-day total – 3,920.
Women
Heptathlon – 1, Georgia Ellenwood (Under Armour) 6,135. Group 4: 11, Allie Jones (Stanford) 5,041 (No. 9 Stanford AT, No. 4 Stanford frosh).
Allie Jones (event, place in event, mark, points):
First day: 100 H – 10, 14.46, 914; HJ – 15, 5-2 ¼ (1.58m), 712; SP – 15, 33-0 ½ (10.07m), 534; 200 – 10, 25.55, 837. First-day total – 2,997.
Second day: LJ – 8, 18-7 ¼ (5.67m) (PB), 750; JT – 9, 113-2 (34.50m) (PB), 562; 800 – 9, 2:26.93 (PB), 732. Second-day total – 2,044.
