(MARION, Ind.) Junior Adam Thompkins concluded day two of the decathlon at the NAIA Outdoor Track
and Field National Championships with an eighth place finish, scoring a point for the Westmont men’s
track and field team in the process. Thompkins recorded a personal best 6,306 points.
“I originally wanted to score about 6,500 points and earn All-American (by finishing sixth), but I felt like I
competed to the best of my ability. I ended up with PRs in the 1500 (meters), the pole vault and the shot
put and in my overall decathlon score as well.”
Thompkins finished eighth (of 16 competitors) with a time of 16.04 points in the first event of the day – the
110 meter hurdles. In the discus, Thompkins threw for 34.8 meters, placing fourth in the event.
The third event was the pole vault and the highlight of the day for Westmont’s decathlete. Thompkins
made three heights above his previous best – all on his first attempt – culminating in a vault of 4.05 meters
(13-3.5).
“My pole vault went really well, but that also meant I took more and more jumps,” said Thompkins. “My
legs and my right shoulder were sore for the javelin and I could feel that affecting me a little bit.”
Thompkins threw for 30.90 meters (101-4) in the javelin, finishing fifteenth. In the 1500 meters, he
finished tenth with a time of 4:46.31, six seconds faster than his previous best time.
Several members of the women’s track and field team suffered from a nasty flu bug including Sondra
Blockman who was scheduled to compete in the 100 meter and 400 meter hurdle semifinals. Blockman
made it to the semis and finished in eighth place in the second heat with a time of 15.22. By the time the
semifinals for the 400 meters rolled around, Blockman was unable to compete.
In the men’s 4 x 800 meter relay finals, Matt Shiney, David Donner, Jacob Goodin and Eric Williams had
hoped to finish in the top six and earn All-American honors. The Warriors were in fifth place with 50
meters to go, but were passed by three teams to finish in eighth place.
“It reminded me a lot of indoors when we were on the cusp the whole way,” said Goodin. “During my leg, I
thought, ‘I’ve got to give it to Eric in at least fifth if I can and give him a little cushion’. It was tough
watching the end. I knew (Eric) was giving it his all. It just wasn’t our day.”
Near the end of the day, Matt Day and Jake Jeanson competed in the semifinals of the men’s 5,000
meters. Jeanson ran in the first heat and finished in eighth place with a time of 15:05.0. Day ran in the
faster second heat and placed eleventh with a time of 14:59.0. Neither runner advanced to tomorrow’s
finals.
The Warriors will have two competitors on the final day of the three-day championship event. At six in the
morning local time (three o’clock PDT), Chrissa Trudelle will compete with 48 other women in the
marathon. The race will begin on Washington Street next to the campus and loop through the downtown
section of Marion.
At one o’clock, Scott MacDonald will finally have his chance to take the stage at nationals, competing
against 27 other shot putters. MacDonald is scheduled to throw in the second of three flights.
