By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications, (503) 370-6110
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Keaton Beckmann (Sr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) from Willamette University finished in 15th place in the decathlon with a score of 5,989 points as the multi-event competition ended at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 28 at North Carolina A&T State University. Beckmann placed third in one event and took fourth or tied for fourth in three other events during the two days of the decathlon.
Beckmann set a personal record in the discus throw on Friday with a toss of 120' 8" as he grabbed seventh place in the event. His throw edged past his previous best of 120' 7" set earlier this year during the Willamette vs. Humboldt State Dual. Also on Friday, he earned a distance of 178' 1" to place fourth in the javelin throw, attained a time of 15.58 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles for eighth place, and registered a time of 5:33.92 in the 1,500-meter run for 15th place. He did not achieve a height in the pole vault. He cleared his opening height, but the wind blew his pole backward, knocking the bar off.
During the decathlon, Beckmann attained his top score in the 100-meter dash, which he completed in 11.16 seconds on Thursday for 825 points. He earned 821 points in the 400-meter dash on Thursday with a time of 49.86 seconds. His time in the 110-meter hurdles on Friday resulted in 781 points. Beckmann was third in the 400-meter dash, fourth in the 100-meter dash and 110-meter hurdles, and tied for fourth in the shot put.
Marcus Weaver from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire won the NCAA decathlon championship with a score of 7,510 points. Mitch Stegeman of UW-Eau Claire was second with 6,952 points, and Nicholas McGill of Whitworth University finished third with 6,897 points.
Jordan Lacey from UW-Eau Claire placed fourth with 6,855 points, while Ryan Rogers of Loras College (Iowa) followed in fifth place with 6,838 points. A total of 17 athletes competed at the NCAA Championships in the decathlon.
There were five different event winners on Friday. Berkley Hill from George Fox University took first place in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.84 seconds. Abrahm Schroedl from UW-Eau Claire won the discus throw at 139' 11". Stegeman claimed first place in the pole vault at 16' 0.75". McGill led the field in the javelin throw with a toss of 208' 11". Joey Davies from Millikin University (Ill.) won the 1,500-meter run in 4:29.91.
Event winners on Thursday were Weaver in the shot put (46' 6.25") and the high jump (6' 6.75"), Lacey in the 100-meter dash (11.05 seconds), Rogers in the long jump (23' 6.75"), and Hill in the 400-meter dash (48.92 seconds). The high single-event score of the decathlon was 880 points by Stegeman in the pole vault.
Beckmann was competing in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships for the second time. He finished in 11th place in 2019.
