Volume XXXVI Number 30 June (1), 2011 NIXON’S 8035 PREP RECORD Eaton Hurdles 13.35 at Pre!-NCAA Next

Hello Again….The first weekend in June looks to Albuquerque, New Mexico where the Great SouthWest prep meet has demanded attention in recent years. The BIG story was ’s assault on the high school record, using prep implements. ’s gaudy 7909, set at the Arcadia Invitational lasted just two years as Nixon shattered the mark and in the process became the first prep athlete ever to score 8000 points on any set of tables. Nixon, 18, Santa Fe HS, Edmond, OK, never trailed Beach’s pace and at one point was 461 points ahead. He roared through the competition winning by 1510 points while putting up four lifetime bests marks (see box). He bettered Beach in 8 of ten events and At this point Gunnar Nixon has just cleared a PR cruised a 5:01.74 (PR 4:34) 1500m, otherwise 4.55m/14-11 and his record assault was ‘a fait acompli.’ the total may have been even more A good deal of attention has been significant. focused on preparation for the Elsewhere, The Texas Greatest USA nationals later in the month. At Athlete meet in Dallas produce several fine Saturday’s (June 4) at scores but no additional USA qualifiers. Hayward Field, Eaton galloped to a huge There Keith Baker, ex Alabama, got a PR hurdle PR (and that’s saying something since 7423 score over Lysias Edmonds (7353). his previous PR was 13.52!) clocking 13.35 Ryan Harlan did selected events (e.g. (wind +1.8mps). No decathlete had ever run 5.00m/16-4 ¾ pv…see results Page), Pat faster. Germany’s Frank Busemann has the Woods, Columbus, OH, suffered thru a high deca WR at 13.47 set at the 1996 Atlanta jump ‘nh’ and former Ivy league champ Tim Games. Occasionally a decathlete has been a Wunderlich, Warrensburg, MO, came back world class hurdler….most notably Bob from a year’s worth of injuries, finishing 4th Mathias , Rafer Johnson and Dan O’Brien (64.29m/210-11 jav). come to mind. Of course Jim Thorpe’s 15.0 in At this point Gunnar Nixon has just cleared a PR 1912 was at the top of the world list. 4.55m/14-11 and his record assault was ‘a fait acompli.’ Germany’s Martin Lauer was a world record holder as was Milt Campbell who clocked a WR 13.4 in 1955. But 13.35! Hello! Ashton also leaped 7.91m/26-¼ for 5th Nixon On the Way to HSR in the long jump. His hurdle race (watch for lane 1) can be seen at http://www.runnerspace.com/PreClassic Although he banged the first 3 event mark points cum pts +/- on HSR barriers, he averaged under one second for the 100m 10.89 885 885 + 22 LJ 7.45m/24-5½ 922 1807 +137 final six. SP 15.21m/49-11 803 2610 +236 HJ 2.15m/7-½ 944 3554 +312 400m 49.66 830 4384 +241 1st day [4384] Ashton Eaton hurdle touchdowns 110mH 14.16 954 5338 +264 1st hurdle 2.43 Disc 43.30m/142-1 732 6070 +328 2nd 3.55 1.12 PV 4.55m/14-11 775 6845 +372 3rd 4.53 1.08 Jav 53.48m/175-5 640 7485 +461 4th 5.76 1.13 1500m 5:01.74 550 8035 +126 5th 6.72 .96 2nd day [3651] 6th 7.77 1.05 Total 8035 HSR 7th 8.76 .99 8th 9.69 .93 9th 10.71 1.02 10th 11.69 .98 Run in/finish 13.35 1.66

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