April 1st and 2nd competition returns World record holder & Olympic Champion, Ashton Eaton, for season debut as well as three World Championship medalists; FREE Youth Clinic on March 30; ‘Road to Rio’ symposium with Olympic athletes to conclude the week’s festivities on April 3 SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The 5th Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational hosted by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) will once again assemble one of the best multi-event fields on American soil to kick-off the Olympic year. The two-day competition will be held April 1-2 at Westmont College with the men competing in the Decathlon and women in the Heptathlon, which are composed of ten and seven disciplines respectively.
Playing host to the “World’s Greatest Athletes”, the Men’s Decathlon will feature 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton (USA) and Canadian national record holder Damian Warner. The two athletes are favored to be on the podium in the Rio Olympic finals later this summer. In the Women's Heptathlon, IAAF World Championship medalists Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN), and reigning U.S. Outdoor Heptathlon Champion, SBTC’s Barbara Nwaba (USA) highlight the field of competitors.
“The SBTC and Westmont College are happy to host the combined events Olympic season debut at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational,” commented Josh Priester, Executive Director of the SBTC and Assistant Coach at Westmont College. “With the support of Westmont and the Santa Barbara community this event has been elevated to an international level competition in just five years. In celebration of the 5th anniversary we are happy to announce the addition of the inaugural Sam Adams community and youth events.”
In addition to the elite competition, the SBTC will host a number of community events throughout the week:
March 30: Santa Barbara Youth Track & Field Clinic
Featured athletes from the Sam Adams Invite will also once again host the Santa Barbara Youth Track & Field Clinic on Wednesday, March 30 at 5:00pm. The clinic is a FREE event for all children ages 7-14 made possible by Bryant & Sons, Ltd. and will take place at Westmont College’s Thorrington Athletic Field. No pre-registration is necessary for this event. For more information visit: http://santabarbaratc.com/sbtc-youth-clinic/
April 1-2: Inaugural Sam Adams Community Races
Open and Masters athletes are invited to compete in the Inaugural Sam Adams Community Races being held on Friday and Saturday April 1-2 on the same track as their favorite Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. Events being offered include the Open 5K, Open Mile and the Open Javelin. Registration is $20 and includes a Sam Adams Invite collectible t-shirt. The deadline to register is Friday, March 25, 2016. For more information visit: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-youth-community-races/
April 2: Inaugural Youth Triathlon Challenge and Youth 1 Mile run
Two youth-oriented events will also highlight the competition on Saturday, April 2—the Inaugural Youth Triathlon Challenge and Youth 1 Mile run. The Youth Triathlon Challenge will include the 100m Dash, Long Jump and Jr. Javelin/Softball Throw, events that are aimed at putting to the test the skills which were taught at Wednesday’s FREE clinic. The Youth Challenge and Youth 1 Mile run has a maximum field of 100 children. Registration is $15 and includes a Sam Adams Invite collectible t-shirt. For more information visit: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-youth-community-races/
April 3: Road to Rio Symposium
The Sam Adams week of events will conclude on Sunday, April 3 at 5:00pm at the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion with a “Road to Rio” symposium sponsored by local fitness apparel brand Rabbit, featuring Olympian guest speakers who both train in and call Santa Barbara home. We invite attendees to get up close and personal with your favorite Olympians in an intimate setting and hear them share their personal experiences of their Olympic journey. Guest speakers include:
- Ashton Eaton - 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist & World Record Holder, Decathlon
- Brianne Theisen-Eaton - 2015 World Championship Silver Medalist, Heptathlon
- Jeff Farrell - 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
- Barbara Nwaba - 2015 U.S. Champion, Heptathlon
VIP and General admission tickets are now available for sale. For more information on the “Road to Rio” symposium visit: http://santabarbaratc.com/road-to-rio-2016/.
All proceeds from the Sam Adams Invite week of festivities supports the Santa Barbara Track Club, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Justine Diaz at justine@bringbackthemile.com.
About the Santa Barbara Track Club
The Santa Barbara Track Club aims to create a progressive and cohesive Track & Field experience for members of our community from youth to masters as well as the development of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls alike. The professional athletes are composed of Track & Field athletes who also work within the community by serving as coaches and mentors to youth. The coaching and personal training efforts of the athletes help to fund the continued growth of Santa Barbara as an international training hub as well as to promote cultural exchange and shared education.