Dillow Leading Decathlon after Day One of Pt. Loma Multi-Events

March 20, 2008

- Track & Field -

PT. LOMA MULTIS

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - With half the events completed, George Fox University All-American Ben Dillow has a sizeable lead and appears well on his way to qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the decathlon after the first day of competition in the Point Loma Nazarene University Multi-Events here Thursday.

Dillow, who finished 2nd in the NCAA decathlon in 2005 and 3rd last year, amassed 3,522 points by placing 1st in the long jump (21-5.5/6.54m), 2nd in the 400 meter dash (50.66), tying for 2nd in the high jump (6-1.75/1.87m), 3rd in the shot put (38-3.75/11.68m), and 4th in the 100 meter dash (11.48). He needs 6,000 points to qualify provisionally for the NCAAs and 6,600 for an automatic qualification.

George Fox assistant track coach Josh Priester is second after the first day with 3,376 points, the Bruins' Ryan Forbes is third with 3,250, and Dillow's younger twin brothers, David and Nate, are 8th with 3,074 and 12th with 2,872 respectively.

Priester's best event was the shot put, which he won with a heave of 40-4.25/12.30m. He also tied for 2nd in the 100 (11.46). Forbes, who placed 8th in the NCAA decathlon in 2006 and 10th last year, won the 100 (11.34) and the 400 (50.18).

Two Bruin women are also competing in the Point Loma heptathlon. Melissa Leighty is sixth with 2,540 points, and Terah Laack is eighth with 2,066. 4,100 points are needed for NCAA provisional qualifying and 4,600 for automatic. Leighty placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash (26.02) and 3rd in the 100 meter hurdles (15.18), while Laack had a 4th in the shot put (33-1.25/10.09m).

The Point Loma Multi-Events conclude Friday, with events beginning at 9:30 a.m. The men will compete in the 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500 meter run, while the women will compete in the long jump, javelin, and the 800 meter dash.

Complete charts of the Point Loma decathlon and heptathlon, courtesy of the Point Loma sports information office, are available on the George Fox track and field web site at www.georgefox.edu/athletics/track/index.html.