By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Willamette University's Keaton Beckmann (Sr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) was in eighth place after five events in the decathlon with a score of 3,576 points as the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships got underway on Thursday, May 27 at North Carolina A&T State University. The final five events in the decathlon will be held on Friday, May 28. A total of 17 athletes are competing in the decathlon.
The second day of the decathlon will feature the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter run. Action is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT/7 a.m. PDT.
Beckmann placed third in the 400-meter dash, was fourth in the 100-meter dash, and tied for fourth in the shot put. He finished ninth in the long jump and was tied for 15th in the high jump.
He recorded a personal record of 40' 6.75" in the shot put, as he added just over a foot to his previous best distance of 39' 6". His times on the track were 11.16 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 49.86 seconds in the 400-meter dash. He registered a top leap of 21' 6" in the long jump. He cleared 5' 9.25" in the high jump.
The top score for Beckmann on Thursday was 825 points in the 100-meter dash. He scored 821 points in the 400-meter dash and attained 709 points in the long jump.
Marcus Weaver from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire won two events on the first day of the decathlon. He took first place in the shot put at 46' 6.75" and prevailed in the high jump at 6' 6.75". Ryan Rogers of Loras College (Iowa) won the long jump at 23' 6.75". Jordan Lacey from UW-Eau Claire finished first in the 100-meter dash in 11.05 seconds, while Berkley Hill of George Fox University won the 400-meter dash in 48.92 seconds. Hill edged out Lacey by 0.01 in the 400.
Weaver led the overall standings at the end of the first day with 3,848 points. Taylor Phillips of George Fox was second at 3,766 points. Rogers held third place at 3,693 points, and Hill of GFU was in fourth at 3,645 points. Beckmann's solid score in eighth place was just 69 points out of fourth place and 117 points out of third place.