SEATTLE, Wash. – The Arizona Track Cats had three athletes continuing action today and the highlight came from Arizona's star decathlete Pau Tonnesen who became a back-to-back Pac-12 decathlon champion.
Arizona has a total of 10 men's points and 11 women's points going towards the Pac-12 Championships next weekend.
“This was a huge weekend for us.” Head Coach Fred Harvey said. “You always expect a guy like Pau, the defending champion, to go out there and compete like we know he is capable of.”
“He did what he needed to do to go out there and defend his title.”
Tonnesen defended his title by posting a decathlon score of 7,942 points.
Yesterday, he posted a time of 11.37 seconds in the 100-meter, and marks of 23 ft. - 11.5 in. (7.30m) in the long jump, 45 ft. - 9.75 in. (13.96m) in the shot put, 6 ft. - 9 in. (2.06m) in the high jump, and a time of 50.88 seconds in the 400-meter race.
He capped off his championship performance by running a 14.84 second mark in the 110-meter hurdle, a mark of 142 ft. - 5 in. (43.40m) in the discus throw, 17 ft. - 0.75 in. (5.20m) in the pole vault, 184 ft. - 3 in. (56.16m) in the javelin, and a time of in the 1,500-meter race.
Alyssa Thompson placed second in the heptathlon with 5,580 points making her this year's Pac-12 runner-up. That mark was the 17th best collegiately this season.
“Alyssa really showed us what she is capable of doing.” Coach Harvey said. “She had a huge personal record and got us an additional eight team points toward the team race.”
Yesterday she ran a time of 14.70 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, posted a personal best mark in the high jump at 5 ft. - 6.5 in. (1.69m), a personal best in the shot put at 37 ft. - 1 in. (11.30m), followed by another personal best time in the 200-meter at 24.54 seconds.
Today she began the day with a mark of 18 ft. - 11.25 in. (5.67m) in the long jump, another personal best mark set in the javelin at 138 ft. - 6 in. (42.23m), and a time of 2:17.95 in the 800-meter race.
Tiana Bonds finished in sixth place with 5,200 points.
She began her day with a mark of 17 ft. - 8.25 in. (5.39m) in the long jump, a mark of 104 ft. - 5 in. (31.83m), and finished it off with a time of 2:18.73 in the 800-meter race.
“Tiana did a really great job after having a tough season.” Coach Harvey said. “She went out there and came close to her personal record.”
Up next for Arizona will be the Pac-12 Championships hosted again at the University of Washington next Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15.
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