Birmingham News Article #1
Mountain Brook hosts decathlon, heptathlon championships
05/13/02
JIM DUNN
For The Birmingham News
Who are the best all-around athletes in the state of Alabama? We\'ll know the answer to that question by Tuesday afternoon, when the state decathlon and heptathlon competition is completed.
The two grueling competitions will be held at Mountain Brook High School today and Tuesday. Girls participating in the heptathlon will battle the late spring heat and their foes in the 200-meter dash, 800-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus and 100-meter hurdles. Decathletes will try to amass the most points in the 100-meter dash, high jump, shot put, long jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, pole vault, discus, triple jump and 1,500-meter run.
Greg Echols, track coach at Mountain Brook, explains that scoring in the heptathlon and decathlon is unlike other track and field events. ``Every event has a scoring table that\'s based on world-class performances, not a high school table,\" he said. ``If you\'re a pole-vaulter and you go 13 feet, then there are a certain number of points that are assigned for that height.\" Befitting a contest designed to determine the best all-around athlete, it\'s important to do well in every event. ``You could not win any event and still win the entire event,\" Echols said. ``But if you get a zero in an event, you\'re toast.\"
Echols also named a few athletes who have a good chance of taking home a title. ``In the decathlon, it really depends on injuries. Patrick Lockhart of Leeds has a pulled hamstring, and Trey Hardee from Vestavia Hills has a hurt ankle, so I don\'t know if they\'ll be 100 percent. Lockhart won last year. Jeff DeMedicis and Patrick Claybon of Mountain Brook would also be favorites. Claybon was runner-up last year.
``In the heptathlon, Edra Finley from UMS-Wright was champion last year, so she\'ll have to be the favorite. Lauren Johnson from Scottsboro should be a factor, and Kelly Gaston from Robert E. Lee has had a great season. Natasha Mitchell from Mountain Brook will be up in the mix. She\'s a thrower who can run, and that\'s a good combination. Kate Jordan from Hoover will also be a factor. She\'s a good size and is just a good athlete.\"
The decathlon begins at noon today for the boys, with the heptathlon starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, decathlon events begin at 9 a.m., and heptathlon follows at 10 a.m.
05/13/02
JIM DUNN
For The Birmingham News
Who are the best all-around athletes in the state of Alabama? We\'ll know the answer to that question by Tuesday afternoon, when the state decathlon and heptathlon competition is completed.
The two grueling competitions will be held at Mountain Brook High School today and Tuesday. Girls participating in the heptathlon will battle the late spring heat and their foes in the 200-meter dash, 800-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus and 100-meter hurdles. Decathletes will try to amass the most points in the 100-meter dash, high jump, shot put, long jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, pole vault, discus, triple jump and 1,500-meter run.
Greg Echols, track coach at Mountain Brook, explains that scoring in the heptathlon and decathlon is unlike other track and field events. ``Every event has a scoring table that\'s based on world-class performances, not a high school table,\" he said. ``If you\'re a pole-vaulter and you go 13 feet, then there are a certain number of points that are assigned for that height.\" Befitting a contest designed to determine the best all-around athlete, it\'s important to do well in every event. ``You could not win any event and still win the entire event,\" Echols said. ``But if you get a zero in an event, you\'re toast.\"
Echols also named a few athletes who have a good chance of taking home a title. ``In the decathlon, it really depends on injuries. Patrick Lockhart of Leeds has a pulled hamstring, and Trey Hardee from Vestavia Hills has a hurt ankle, so I don\'t know if they\'ll be 100 percent. Lockhart won last year. Jeff DeMedicis and Patrick Claybon of Mountain Brook would also be favorites. Claybon was runner-up last year.
``In the heptathlon, Edra Finley from UMS-Wright was champion last year, so she\'ll have to be the favorite. Lauren Johnson from Scottsboro should be a factor, and Kelly Gaston from Robert E. Lee has had a great season. Natasha Mitchell from Mountain Brook will be up in the mix. She\'s a thrower who can run, and that\'s a good combination. Kate Jordan from Hoover will also be a factor. She\'s a good size and is just a good athlete.\"
The decathlon begins at noon today for the boys, with the heptathlon starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, decathlon events begin at 9 a.m., and heptathlon follows at 10 a.m.