Owens accumulates world-leading 8,528 points to surpass wind-legal total of 8,484 last year by Georgia’s Tilga, still trails wind-aided effort of 8,539 by Victor in 2017; BYU’s Wayment runs 9:26.88 in 3,000 steeplechase for top global mark this year, Jager second in return to event for first time since 2018 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Chuck Aragon

WALNUT, Calif. – No matter what the historians and statisticians of collegiate track and field identify as the standard for the men’s decathlon, by every metric, the two-day performance of Arkansas standout Ayden Owens at the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike was truly remarkable.

Owens punctuated his world-leading 8,528-point effort Thursday by clocking a personal-best 4 minutes, 13.17 seconds in the 1,500 meters, surpassing the wind-legal NCAA record of 8,484 points achieved last year at the Spec Towns Invitational by Georgia’s Karel Tilga.

Lindon Victor of Texas A&M still boasts the all-time best collegiate performance of 8,539 points from the 2017 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships, although his final mark included wind-aided efforts in the 100-meter dash and long jump, thus making it ineligible for NCAA record purposes.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Owens achieved the all-time collegiate best decathlon performances Wednesday in the 100-meter dash by clocking 10.27 and also in the 400 by running 46.12.

His first-day total of 4,483 points was the fifth-highest in NCAA history, but Owens opened Thursday’s schedule by clocking 13.80 in the 110-meter hurdles to add 1,000 points to his score and continued to build momentum from there on his way to achieving the Hilmer Lodge Stadium record.

Owens surpassed the Arkansas program record of 8,097 points achieved last year by Markus Ballengee and improved on his previous-best 8,238 points, which he amassed last year at the Big 10 Outdoor Championships representing Michigan.

Owens also elevated his own Puerto Rican record and ascended to the No. 47 all-time global competitor.

Iowa’s Austin West ascended to the No. 24 all-time collegiate decathlete with 8,179 points and Cal’s Hakim McMorris took third with 7,941 points.

Courtney Wayment of Brigham Young also produced a world-leading 9:26.88 in the women’s invitational elite 3,000-meter steeplechase, covering the final lap in 69.19 seconds to pull away from U.S. Olympian Val Constien, who clocked 9:31.20.

Constien took third at last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials in 9:18.34 to secure the last spot to compete in Tokyo, with Wayment finishing fourth in 9:23.09, the sixth-fastest all-time performance by a collegiate athlete at any point during the year.

Wayment, who set meet and stadium records, elevated to the No. 4 competitor in NCAA history with Thursday’s effort, trailing only Courtney Frerichs (9:24.41), Emma Coburn (9:25.28) and Jenny Simpson (9:25.54).

Colorado’s Madison Boreman took third in 9:46.80, Canada’s Jessica Furlan finished fourth in 9:49.22 and BYU’s Lexy Halladay finished fifth in 9:55.65, eclipsing the 10-minute barrier for the first time.

Evan Jager of Nike Bowerman Track Club completed his first 3,000 steeplechase race since 2018, being narrowly edged at the finish by Japanese Olympian Ryoma Aoki by an 8:33.33 to 8:34.89 margin in the men’s invitational elite section.

Clement Duigou of Adams State took third in 8:36.25, ascending to the No. 7 all-time competitor in NCAA Division 2.

Kenny Rooks of BYU, competing in the collegiate 3,000 steeplechase section, ran faster than the invitational athletes, prevailing in 8:32.75.

Andrea Ramirez Limon, a Mexican Olympian, won the women’s invitational elite 10,000 meters in 32:37.62, relying on an impressive negative split in the second half of the race.

Brianna Robles of Adams State placed second in a lifetime-best 32:50.06, running the fastest final lap of 69.34 seconds to eclipse the program record and ascend to the No. 4 competitor in NCAA Division 2 history.

Utah’s Emily Venters was third in a personal-best 33:07.74.

Notre Dame’s Dylan Jacobs and Arkansas’ Amon Kemboi showcased a thrilling stretch run in the men’s invitational elite 10,000, both producing sub-60 splits on the final lap.

Jacobs prevailed by a 28:01.94 to 28:02.24 margin to take over the collegiate lead, with Ivan Gonzalez of Colombia taking third in 28:05.29.

Washington’s Ida Eikeng, representing Norway, won the women’s heptathlon with 5,916 points, just off her personal-best effort from the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships last year by four points.

Allie Jones of Stanford was second with 5,832 points and Colorado’s Avery McMullen took third with 5,663 points.