Detmer sits fourth in USA championships decathlon
June 25, 2009 | Men's Track & Field
The best first-day score of his career has University of Wisconsin alumnus Joe Detmer fourth in the standings of the men's decathlon at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Detmer, a 2007 UW graduate, tallied 4,043 points over the course of the first five events of the decathlon Thursday at Hayward Field. Trey Hardee, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, leads the standings at 4,337 points, with Oregon's Ashton Eaton second (4,333) and Desi Burt third (4,046).
2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
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A field-leading time of 47.96 seconds in the day's final event, the 400 meters, capped Detmer's big first day. His previous five-event high score was the 4,043 he tallied on the way to a fifth-place finish in last year's U.S.-Germany Thorpe Cup competition.
The day began with a solid run of 10.94 in the 100 meters ' third-best among the competitors ' that ranks as Detmer's lifetime best in the decathlon 100. He followed with a leap of 23 feet, 8 3/4 inches in the long jump, also third-best in the field.
The jump was 5 1/2 inches beyond his personal-best mark but was wind-aided, with a 2.1 meters-per-second breeze at Detmer's back.
A throw of 40 feet, 3 1/4 in the shot put was one of just two marks that earned Detmer less than 800 points, with the second coming on his clearance of 6-5 in the high jump.
Detmer wrapped up the first half of competition with his run of 47.96 in the 400 meters, giving him the best mark of any competitor and a 911-point boost to his score.
Sophomore Robert Dehn, owner of UW's school record in the event, earned a 16th-place in the men's javelin with a throw of 208-5.
In the preliminaries of the men's 800 meters, senior Steve Ludwig was 33rd-fastest with a time of 1:51.15. Ludwig had run a personal-best 1:48.23 last week to earn entry to the championships.
Junior Ryan Gasper was 17th in the prelims of the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:52.89.
In the women's high jump, senior Megan Seidl failed to clear the opening height of 5 feet, 10 inches and did not record a mark.
Four former Badgers will compete Friday as the USA championships continue, with Joe Detmer concluding the final five events of the decathlon and the trio of Evan Jager, Chris Solinsky and Matt Tegenkamp running the final of the men's 5,000 meters.
ESPN will air a number of events live Friday from 7-9 p.m.
