|
INDIANAPOLIS - 2004 NCAA decathlon champion Ryan Harlan will look to win
his third consecutive men's national heptathlon championship this
weekend at the 2007 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Harlan led after the first day of competition last year and held off a
late comeback on Sunday by 2004 Olympian Paul Terek to win his second
consecutive men's title with 5,949 points. Terek, a two-time champion in
this event, was the runner-up with 5,883 points. If either Harlan or
Terek are victorious this weekend, they will be the first to win this
event three times.
2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships runner-up Will Thomas will be in the
field, along with 2006 Mt. SAC Relays decathlon runner-up Joe Cebulski.
Chris Boyles, who placed third at this event last year (5,751 points)
and fourth at the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon,
also will challenge for top honors.
In women's competition, former Eastern Michigan University combined
events standout Lela Nelson will look to defend her title in the
pentathlon this weekend at Chapel Hill. Nelson, the 2005 NCAA heptathlon
champion, won last year with a total of 4,123 points after winning two
of the five events, the 60m hurdles (8.47) and the long jump
(6.35m/20-10).
Nelson will face a strong challenge from Fiona Asigbee, who was the
runner-up at this event in 2005 and placed third in the heptathlon at
the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis. Former Liberty
University standout and 2005 Penn Relays and ECAC champion Danielle
McNaney will attempt to win her first national title after placing third
last year with 3,886 points.
The men's heptathlon will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday the
women's pentathlon will kickoff the action at Noon, with the final three
events of the men's competition beginning at 1 p.m.
For more information on the 2007 USA Indoor Combined Events
Championships, visit USATF.org.
| 
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?