Duckworth’s 8,145-Point Decathlon Wraps Spec Towns Invite

ATHENS, Ga. – Tim Duckworth broke 8,100 points in the decathlon for the first time on Saturday, scoring a NCAA-leading, school record 8,145 points to finish second overall, but as top collegian at the Georgia Spec Towns Invitational (Bulldog) Decathlon.
 
The reigning NCAA indoor heptathlon champion’s outdoor-season-opening decathlon score is best in the NCAA this year by 99 points, and was a 172-point personal best.
 
Duckworth, who competes for Great Britain in international competition, moved to No. 4 on the United Kingdom all-time performers’ list. His score is third best by anyone in the world this season (UGA alumnus Maicel Uibo won this weekend’s decathlon with a world-leading 8,407).  

On Saturday, he won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.59, and then turned in a personal best discus throw of 144’9″/44.12m to pick up big points on his PB pace, as he had PR’d in four of five Friday events.

He scored 810 points in the pole vault, 657 in the javelin and then brought it home with 461 in the 1,500m.

Three more Wildcats were outright event winners on Saturday.
 
Caleb Wilt ran a personal best 14.10 (+0.6) to win the 110m hurdles.
 
Fred Dorsey III won the 100m in his home state with a PB 10.40 (+1.2). Ian Jones won the 800m in 1:49.37.
 
Janie O’Connor was second overall, top collegian, in the women’s 200m running 24.06 (+0.7). O’Connor placed second in the 100m, and senior teammate Jacklyn Howell was fourth in 11.93.
 
Howell was second in the 100m hurdles running a season-best 13.34 (+1.2).
 
Friday Report
Duckworth started his first decathlon of 2018 in red-hot form, with a quartet of personal bests to take a 274-point lead with a 4568 –point total through five events.
 
He led second place, Georgia’s Johannes Erm, by 274 points with five events to come on Saturday.

Duckworth was 513 points ahead of his prior day-one personal best, which he recorded a year ago at the same meet.
 
Duckworth started the day with a PB 100m time of 10.40 (+1.0). Moments later, he exploded to the best wind-legal long jump by any Division I athlete in the nation this young season, a personal best 26’4.25″/8.03m (+0.0), more than half a foot past his prior best. The mark ranks No. 4 on the TFRRs descending-order national list, which includes marks with winds slower than four meters/second.
 
Duckworth tossed another PB in the shot put scoring 711 points with a mark of 44’11.74″/13.71m.

He won the high jump – one of his best events, clearing 6’11.75″/2.13m, and then finished the day with another PB, running a 400m time of 48.92.

A year ago, Duckworth finished with a lifetime personal best decathlon score: 7973 to place second at UGA’s meet. The score moved him to No. 7 on the United Kingdom all-time list, shattered his Kentucky school and personal record by a staggering 264 points.
 
Matt Peare earned second place in the men’s pole vault, clearing 16’10.75″/5.15m.
 
Sarah Crawford ran a five-second PB in the women’s 1,500m, 4:33.19 to place sixth. Caitlin Shepard turned in an eight-second PB, running 4:44.20 to finish 12th. Madisyn Peeples ran 4:53.21 to finish 17th in her collegiate track and field debut.
 
Dorsey III placed sixth in the men’s long jump with a mark of 24’4.5″/7.43m (+1.5).

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