LOS ANGELES – Will Stanford’s track and field record of records finally be broken? The oldest in Stanford history – the decathlon standard set by Bob Mathias in his gold-medal winning performance at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics – is under threat.
Stanford freshman Harrison Williams completed the first day of the two-day 10-event competition at the Pac-12 Championships on Saturday at Drake Stadium in second place and with his best events – the 110-meter hurdles and pole vault – still ahead.
After five events, Williams has 4,068 points and trails only Arizona junior Pau Tonneson, who has 4,098. Williams is 76 points ahead of his first-day pace in setting a Stanford freshman record of 7,518 at the Texas Relays in March. That total was only 74 points shy of Mathias’ 63-year-old Stanford record of 7,592.
On Saturday, Williams won two events – the 100 (10.82) and 400 (48.14) – and set a personal record in the shot put (41-10 ¾). But the key for Williams was consistency. All of his marks were at or close to his personal bests, including the long jump (22-7 ¾) and high jump (6-7 ½).
In 1952, Mathias repeated as Olympic decathlon champ by scoring a world-record 7,887 points, a total that has been adjusted to 7,592 to reflect changes in the scoring tables. His performance was so dominating that Mathias won by more than 900 points.
It was the last athletic competition in the career of Mathias, who also played in the 1952 Rose Bowl for Stanford and went on to serve in the Marines, followed by four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mathias passed away in 2006.
Williams is seeking to become Stanford’s first conference decathlon champ since Travis Clark won the Pac-10 title in 1994.
The Pac-12 Multi-Events Championships are this weekend. The main portion of the meet will be May 16-17, also at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.
Pac-12 Championships
At Drake Stadium, UCLA
Decathlon
First day
Leaders: 1, Pau Tonneson (Arizona) 4,098; 2, Harrison Williams (Stanford) 4,068; 3, Mitch Modin (Oregon) 3,984; 4, Dakotah Keys (Oregon) 3,965; 5, Dino Dodig (Washington State) 3,869.
Williams’ results, with place and points: 100 – 1, 10.82 (901); LJ – 5, 22-7 ¾, 6.90m (790); SP – 7, 41-10 ¾, 12.77m (653); HJ – 4, 6-7 1/2 , 2.02m (822); 400 – 1, 48.14 (902). Total – 4,068.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Tai Dinger, a freshman who is redshirting and running unattached, became the 12th member of the Stanford team to have broken 3:50 in the 1,500. Dinger ran 3:49.97 at the West Coast Last Chance Meet hosted by University of San Francisco at San Francisco State's Cox Stadium.
Stanford got victories from Scott Buttinger in the 800 (1:51.17), Daniel Brady in the 400 hurdles (54.39), and Tristen Newman in the shot put (54-5).
West Coast Last Chance Meet
At San Francisco State
Men
200 – 1, Bolade Ajomale (unattached) 21.05; 3, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 22.71.
400 – 1, James Steptoe (Academy of Art) 48.91; 2, Frank Kurtz (Stanford) 50.18.
800 – 1, Scott Buttinger (Stanford) 1:51.17; 2, Michael Atchoo (Strava TC) 1:51.28; 3, Patrick Perrier (unattached) 1:52.35. Sec. 2: 1, Will Drinkwater (Stanford) 1:55.36.
1,500 – 1, Geoff Martinson (Pih) 3:47.49. Sec. 2: 2, Tai Dinger (unattached) 3:49.97 (PB); 5, Ryan Silva (Stanford) 3:55.41. Sec. 3: 4, Jack Bordoni (Stanford) 4:04.91.
5,000 – 1, Nick Grubiss (Chico State) 14:10.92; 8, Kevin Bishop (Stanford) 14:39.34; 13, Blair Hurlock (unattached) 14:48.86 (PB).
400 hurdles – 1, Daniel Brady (Stanford) 54.39; 2, Colin Dolese (Stanford) 54.78 (PB).
3,000 steeplechase – 1, Steven Fahy (unattached) 9:10.32.
Triple jump – 1, Marcus Robinson (unattached) 50-0 (15.24m).
Shot put – 1, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 54-5 (16.60m).
Women
800 – 1, Lyndsay Harper (Bay Area TC) 2:09.79; 2, Maddy Berkson (Stanford) 2:09.94.