Posted: August 9, 2006

Athletics: USATF News & Notes, Volume 7, Number 58

Team USA wins Nike Combined Events Challenge Team USA's men's and women's squads overcame blistering hot temperatures and a strong team from Germany to win the 2006 Nike Combined Events Challenge over the weekend at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. The first-ever women's heptathlon event of this series proved memorable as Germany owned a commanding lead of 1,176 points going into the final event, the 800 meters. With 300 meters remaining in the race, leaders Maren Schwerdtner and Annelie Schrader appeared to have the event locked up for the German team when Schwerdtner collapsed with 300 meters to go due to an asthma attack, and Schrader fell to the track surface with a sprained ankle. Those misfortunes enabled Team USA to win the women's overall competition with 15,716 points to Germany's 15,619 points. Germany's Julie Machtig won the women's individual competition with 5,799 points as Danielle McNaney (2nd - 5,475) and Reidun Wallin (3rd-5,292) led Team USA to the victory. U.S. finishers included Tacita Bass (5th - 4,949) and Lela Nelson (6th - 4,796). The men's decathlon ended with all 11 competitors lying on the track following the 1,500 meters due to the brutal heat that exceeded 105 degrees on the final day of competition. After trailing nearly the entire way, Team USA took a 30-point lead following the ninth event of the decathlon, the javelin throw. Although the final event 1,500 meters is traditionally a much stronger event for the German squad, Team USA increased its lead by 17 points in winning the event. In a competition where more than 75,000 points were scored, Team USA tallied 37,792 points to Germany's 37,735, to win by a mere 57 points. Team USA won the men's team event over Germany for the ninth time in the 13-year history of the event. Near the end of the 1,500 meters, American Travis Geopfert collapsed with 20 meters remaining in the race from the excessive heat. He got up, collapsed again and rolled across the line to finish the race. Germans Arthur Abele (7,838 points) and Lars Albert (7,824) finished first and second respectively in the individual competition. Team USA was led by Chris Boyles (3rd - 7,672), Will Thomas (4th - 7,657) and Paul Terek (5th - 7,630). Other U.S. finishers were Joe Cebulski (6th - 7,604), Ryan Olkowski (9th - 7,229) and Travis Geopfert (10th - 7,183). For more information on the 2006 Nike Combined Events Challenge, visit USATF.org

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