Schwartz, Veith Win Sam Adams Combined Events Invite

Reigning Olympic High Jump Champion, Derek Drouin, finishes in 4th place with 7150pts; sets Decathlon High Jump World Record with leap of 2.28m / 7'5.75" on Day 1Santa Barbara, Calif. – After two days of competition at the 6th Annual Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational, Lindsay Schwartz (USA / SBTC) and Hunter Veith (Wichita State) remained at the top of the Heptathlon and Decathlon standings winning with 5773pts and 7610pts respectively. The Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational was held on April 7-8, 2017 at Westmont College's Thorrington Field in Santa Barbara, CA. The event is hosted by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC).

• 2017 Results
• Day 1 Recap
• Overview & History

SCHWARTZ WINS 3rd SAM ADAMS TITLE

With another trio of consistent events on day two, Schwartz successfully defended her Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational title, claiming her third win in four years. Kicking off the meet on Friday, she would run 13.70 (1021pts) in the 100m Hurdles as 2x Olympian in the Hurdles, Angela Whyte (CAN), would pull the field to good times under overcast and windy conditions. Schwartz would go onto string together consistent marks across the next six events with marks of 1.69m /5'6.5" (842pts) in the High Jump, 13.39m / 43'11.25" (753pts) in the Shot Put, 24.73 (921pts) in the 200m, 5.88m / 19'3.5" (813pts) in the Long Jump, 39.41m / 129'3" (656pts) in the Javelin and 2:23.53 (776pts) in the 800m to finish the Heptathlon.

Chari Hawkins (SBTC) was the runner-up with 5685pts. Hawkins won the High Jump on day one clearing 1.72m / 5'7.75" (879pts) and the Long Jump on day two leaping out to 6.04m / 19'9.75" (862pts).

WICHITA STATE'S VEITH WINS DECATHLON

Veith, a Junior from Wichita State, claimed the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational title over Wichita State alum and 4x Team USA Decathlete Austin Bahner, 7610pts to 7441pts. Veith set a personal best in the two-day, ten event competition moving up to 2nd all-time on the Shocker's all-time list behind Bahner, who was a three-time NCAA All-American and currently serves as an Assistant Coach for the squad.

SBTC's Thomas Hopkins was third with 7344pts in a meet where he would set a personal best in the Shot Put with a toss of 13.40m / 43’11.75″.

Reigning Olympic and World Champion in the High Jump, Derek Drouin (CAN), was fourth in his first Decathlon with 7150pts. By scoring over 7000pts, Drouin solidified his Decathlon World Record in the High Jump, having cleared 2.28m / 7'5.75" on Day 1. The previous record of 2.27 / 7'5.25" was held by a pair of Germans, Rolf Beilschmidt and Christian Schenk, who hit the mark in 1977 and 1988 respectively.

Druin-HJ-Dec-2017

Olympic High Jump Champion to Debut in Decathlon at Sam Adams Invitational

The 2017 Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational held on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8, once again will showcase incredible global Track & Field talent.  The two-day Decathlon and Heptathlon is held at Westmont College in the Santa Barbara foothills. In addition to the weekend festivities the Santa Barbara Track Club will host two youth events:

• Wednesday, April 5: FREE Youth T&F Clinic
• Saturday, April 8: Youth Tri-Challenge & Mile Run

Olympic High Jump, Derek Drouin Debuts in the Decathlon

Highlighting the competition will be the reigning Olympic and World Championship High Jump champion, Derek Drouin (CAN), who is making his debut in the Decathlon at Sam Adams. Drouin became only the 10th man in history in 2014 to clear a height of 2.40m / 7'10", setting a Canadian record. A graduate of Indiana University, he is also the only NCAA High Jumper to win 5 NCAA championships.

Drouin is competing in his first Decathlon and one event to look for is the High Jump on Friday, tentatively scheduled for 4:00pm. The current Decathlon record is 2.27m / 7'5.25". In order for an event record to be set, the Decathlete must finish all 10 events scoring 7,000pts or more.

Note that in a combined events competition the schedule may fluctuate and we recommend arriving 60-90mins. prior to a particular event that you would like to watch.

• Complete time-table and event information (results will be posted here)
• Event History & Records

ADDITIONAL NOTABLE ATHLETES

Austin Bahner (USA / Shocker Track Club) - 4x Team USA athlete, USA Indoor Championships Heptathlon Runner-Up

Thomas FitzSimons, Jr. (USA / ABEO Santa Barbara Track Club) - 2016 & 2015 Sam Adams Invite Champion, 2014 U.S. Decathlon Bronze Medalist

Lindsay Schwartz (USA / ABEO Santa Barbara Track Club) - 2016 & 2014 Sam Adams Invite Champion, 2015 Thorpe Cup Bronze Medalist, 2015 Pan American Silver Medalist

Angela Whyte (CAN) - 2x Canadian Olympic team member

Westmont Athletic Director to Run 50 Miles on 50th Birthday to Raise $50,000

January 6th event at Westmont College to raise money for the Santa Barbara Track Club and Westmont Track program; Open to the public, 8:00am - 5:00pm

SANTA BARBARA, Calif - (December 8, 2016) - Westmont Athletic Director and President & CEO at Medbridge, Dave Odell, has set a lofty goal for his 50th birthday. On Friday, January 6, 2017, beginning at 8:00am at the Westmont College Thorrington Field Track & Field complex, he will set out on a 50 Mile journey to raise $50,000 for two organizations he is passionate about: the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College Track & Field.

In order to reach his physical and philanthropic goals he will run just over 201 laps on the track and is asking the community to join him for support. At http://www.50for50for50thousand.com you can pledge your support, including joining him on the track at the following levels:

$5,000 = 10 Miles $1,000 = 5 Miles $250 = 3 Miles $100 = 1 Mile

“It is tradition among my group of friends to take on a significant challenge on significant birthdays. While I’ve done ultra marathons before, the thought of running in circles all day is a Misogi-like challenge. For my 50th birthday there isn’t anything better than undertaking this physical endeavor to support organizations I love,” commented Odell. “Turning 50 is an opportunity to continue to push the physical and mental boundaries of the human spirit; lessons both organizations teach athletes at all ages.”

In addition to reaching his fundraising goal, he will also look to set the Westmont College Thorrington Field 50 Mile record, which has yet to be completed. His name would be alongside Olympic champions, Ashton Eaton and Jessie Williams, who hold stadium records in the 400m and High Jump respectively as well as local USA champion, Olympian and SBTC member Barbara Nwaba (Heptathlon).

More information and to donate: http://www.50for50for50thousand.com/

About Westmont College Westmont College is an undergraduate, residential, Christian, liberal arts community serving God’s kingdom by cultivating thoughtful scholars, grateful servants and faithful leaders for global engagement with the academy, church and world.

About the Santa Barbara Track Club The Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) 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 combined events athletes and middle distance athletes who also work within the community by serving as coaches and mentors to youth.

Schwartz & FitzSimons Jr. Win 2016 Sam Adams Combined Events Invite

Santa Barbara, Calif. – Lindsay Schwartz (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) won the Heptathlon with 5991pts points and Thomas FitzSimons Jr. (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) won the Decathlon with 7576pts. Four Heptathletes earned U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifiers and USC's Amali Iuel posted the 2016 NCAA leading Heptathlon score. Below, we've provided a summary of each event organized by time schedule. For the Day 1 Summary, please click here. The 5th Annual Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational is held on April 1-2, 2016 at Westmont College's Thorrington Field in Santa Barbara, CA. The event is hosted by the Santa Barbara Track Club.

• Results & Heat Sheets
• Events Timetable, Overview & History
• Road to Rio Symposium - April 2 - Tickets on Sale Online & at the Door

DECATHLON - 110M HURDLES

Kicking off the final day of competition, Josue Louis (USA) put up over 900pts with a time of 14.58. Santa Barbara Track Club teammates, Thomas Hopkins (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club), Calvin Sullins (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) and Thomas FitzSimons, Jr. (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) took the next three spots running 14.83, 14.86 and 15.01 respectively.

Tyler Nelson (USA / UC-Santa Barbara), the leader after Day of competition ran 15.33 good for the eighth spot earning 810pts to maintain his lead through six events with 4716pts.

DECATHLON - DISCUS

In the shadows of the event's youth events, which invited young athletes from throughout Santa Barbara County, the Discus was next up for the Men. Canada's Patrick Arbour (Ottawa TC) took the Discus title with a throw of 47.05m (154'04.25") and earned 809pts. Followed closely behind was Santa Barbara Track Club's Derek Masterson who went for 46.41m (152'03.00") and 796pts. The scores would catapult them from 6th and 7th respectively in the overall competition to 2nd (5350pts) and 3rd place (5246pts).

Guest athlete Ashton Eaton (USA / NIKE Oregon Track Club) competed in his second event of the competition with a throw of 42.60m (139'09.00"), the third farthest throw of the morning.

Nelson would continue to lead the Decathlon with 5365pts.

HEPTATHLON - LONG JUMP

The women would begin their afternoon in the Long Jump, which saw Santa Barbara Track Club's Lindsay Lettow (USA) set a life-time best leap of 6.15m (20'02.00") earning 896pts. Lettow would move up to 5th place in the competition. Amalie Iuel (Norway / USC) and Chari Hawkins (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) would tie for 2nd and 862pts with jumps of 6.04m (19'09.75").

Hawkins' performance would push her into the lead with 4458pts ahead of Nia Ali (USA) with 4407pts. Ali, the recent IAAF World Champion at 60m Hurdles in Portland, OR is competing in her first Heptathlon since 2009 during her collegiate career for the USC Trojans.

DECATHLON - POLE VAULT

FitzSimons Jr. would set a personal best of 4.80m (15'08.75") to lead the competition and move into second place overall with 6090pts. Arbour would finish second with a vault of 4.50m (14'09.00") catapulting him to first in the Decathlon with 6110pts. Derek Masterson (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club) would also vault 4.50m (14'09.00") to move up to third on the overall leader board with 6006pts.

HEPTATHLON - JAVELIN

2015 U.S. Heptathlon Champion, Barbara Nwaba (USA / Santa Barbara Track Club), led the field with a huge 13 foot personal best, tossing the javelin 50.40m (165'04.25"). Tiffeny Parker (USA / Texas Express Track Club) would take the second spot with a throw of 45.52m (149'04.00") followed by Santa Barbara Track Club's Annette Fleming (GER) who had a mark of 44.85m (147'01.75").

Hawkins would continue to lead the field with 5063pts, but by a small margin with teammates Lettow and Schwartz scoring 5062 and 5054 points respectively through six events.

HEPTATHLON - 800m

With less than 40 points separating the top four athletes heading into the 800m, the final event of the competition would prove to be an exciting one. The Heptathletes also had their eyes on the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying mark of 5900pts. With the Youth Challenge finishing up, hundreds of fans stayed to cheer on the Heptathletes.

Leading from wire-to-wire, USC's Iuel would cross the line in 2:08.41, just ahead of Kiani Profit's (USA / Chula Vista Track Club) 2:08.77. Iuel's mark would set almost a 200pt person best propelling her to 5th place with 5799pts, a mark that currently leads all NCAA Division athletes. Profit would finish in 4th place overall with 5977pts, over the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying mark.

Just behind the top two in the 800m, Schwartz would finish 3rd with a personal best of 2:11.93, not only earning her 937pts, but catapulting her to the 2016 Sam Adams Combined Events Invite title, which she also won in 2014. Teammates Lettow and Hawkins would finish 4th and 5th respectively with times of 2:12.66 and 2:15.01. Lettow finished 2nd overall with 5988pts and Hawkins 4th with 5956pts, both also qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

DECATHLON - JAVELIN

The ninth event of the Decathlon saw Toshiki Sakamoto (JPN / Kanoya Sport University) launch a big personal best of 68.01m (223'01.50") to out distance the field by over twenty-five feet and over 100pts. His mark would put him in third place heading into the final event of the two-day competition with 6738pts.

Arbour would finish second in the Javelin with a throw of 59.53m (195'03.50") putting him in first place overall with 6841pts. Masterson would round out the top three tossing the Javelin 59.37m (194'09.25") and moving him into fourth overall with 6734pts. FitzSimons Jr. would move into the second position overall with 6789pts.

DECATHLON - 1500M DASH

Heading into the final event of the Decathlon on a picture perfect late afternoon at Westmont College in the Santa Barbara foothills only 107pts separated the top four athletes. FitzSimons Jr. came into the event with one of the best 1500m marks and needing a big win to defend his Sam Adams Combined Events Invite title. He would not disappoint the crowd who passed on the NCAA Final Four to watch him post a 4:23.58 1500m win, earning him 787pts and 7576pts for the overall title.

Arbour would fend off Masterson for runner-up in the overall competition, posting 543pts with his 5:02.90 and netting him 7384pts for the Decathlon. Masterson's 4:46.07 and 643pts moved him into third place overall with 7377pts.

The Sam Adams Week of Events concludes tomorrow, Sunday, April 3 with the Road to Rio Symposium featuring Ashton Eaton (Decathlon World Record Holder & 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist), Brianne Theisen-Eaton (2016 World Indoor Pentathlon Champion), Jeff Farrell (2x Olympic Gold Medalist at 1960 Olympics, Swimming) and Barbara Nwaba (2015 U.S. Heptathlon Champion). Tickets are available online and at the door with the VIP reception beginning at 3:30pm.

5th Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational Hosted by SBTC Kicks off Olympic Year

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.

Santa Barbara Track Club Goes Global, Acts Local

Zimbabwe national record holder Keegan Cooke competes at this weekend's African Games; SBTC Youth Fall Season begins Monday with record participation; SBTC visits Santa Barbara County schools to promote physical fitness From Santa Barbara Track Club

For Coach Josh Priester's professional athletes it has been quite the summer of success and travel as athletes competed not only throughout the United States, but also Canada, China and Germany. Keegan Cooke, a Zimbabwean citizen, will add one more country to the athlete's summer passport as he represents his country at the 11th African Games in Brazzaville, Congo.

Cooke, who competed for the University of Arizona Wildcats before becoming a member of SBTC, will begin the two-day competition on Sunday, September 13. He is the Zimbabwe national record holder in the Decathlon with 7315 points, which he set in April at the Mt. SAC Relays Combined Events Invitational.

• 11th African Games Official Website & Results
• 11th African Games Webcast

SBTC Youth Fall Season Begins

With the summer winding down internationally, SBTC's focus returns to its community with the SBTC Youth Track season beginning on Monday, September 14. Coached by SBTC's professional athletes, including USA Track & Field Champion, Barbara Nwaba, the SBTC Youth program is geared towards ages 7-14 and is hosted at Westmont College.

While an incredibly fun experience at all ages, SBTC Youth also achieved great competitive success in the Spring of 2015 earning the most Gold Medals (19) and also the most Medals & Ribbons (58) of any other Youth Club at the Santa Barbara All-County Championships.

Visit the SBTC Youth page for more information and to register.

SBTC in the Community

SBTC athletes will also be visiting schools throughout the year, participating at jog-a-thons, move-a-thons, physical education classes and more! To schedule a SBTC visit at your school, please email info@santabarbaratc.com.

And stay tuned for the second annual SBTC Fall-Comers Track & Field meet at Westmont College! Tentatively scheduled for the second weekend of November, this meet is open to athletes of all ages and abilities. Go for a new personal best or try your hand at new events. All track events will be electronically times. SBTC will post more information as soon as the date is made official.

Santa Barbara Locals, Barbara Nwaba & Patrick Smith, Lead Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational

Olympic Champion & world record holder, Ashton Eaton, finishes day one winning the 400m dash in 45.86, the 7th best mark in the world this year; Jesse Williams clears 2.26m (7'05") in the High Jump, the fourth best mark in the world this year; five meet records and four stadium records fall on day one Santa Barbara, Calif. - Another beautiful Santa Barbara day welcomed athletes from around the country and world to the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College.  The “World’s Greatest Athletes” competed in the first day of the two day long decathlon and heptathlon events.

In the Heptathlon, SBTC’s Barbara Nwaba (USA), a UCSB graduate and 2012 NCAA runner-up in the event, leads the competition with 3718 points after strong performances including a 13.77 in the 100m Hurdles, 1.78m (5'10") in the High Jump and a 24.10 in the 200m Dash, the final event of the day.

Another Santa Barbara local, Patrick Smith, a senior at Chico State and two-time NCAA Division II national champion (2012 and 2013), leads the Decathlon after day one with 3948 points. Smith had consistent performances throughout the day, including a 10.95 in the 100m, 7.26m (23’10") in the Long Jump, and a 50.27 in the 400m Dash to close out the day. Smith was a 2009 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School.

The Eatons Back in Santa Barbara

Kicking off the elite sections of the day was the men's Decathlon 100m Dash, featuring 2012 Olympic Champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton (USA). Eaton cruised to a 10.43 (1.7 m/s) win. A few minutes later, in the women’s 100m Hurdles, it was Eaton’s wife, Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN), coming away with a win in a strong 13.29.

The Eatons, who reside in Eugene, OR and compete for the Oregon Track Club are training in Santa Barbara once again this Spring leading up to the start of their outdoor season. They competed as guest athletes on day one and did not compete in the full competition. Eaton rounded out the day in the 400m winning in 45.86, the seventh fastest mark in the world this year and just off his meet and stadium record, 45.64, set in 2013. Theisen-Eaton also competed in the Shot Put, throwing 13.92m (45'8").

Day 1 in the Decathlon

2014 USA Indoor Heptathlon champion, Gray Horn, led the decathlon after four events, but a back injury kept him out of the 400m Dash, the final event of the day. Horn won the Long Jump, out distancing 2013 IAAF World Championship bronze medalist in the Decathlon, Damian Warner (CAN), 7.64m (25'00.75") to 7.62m (25'00"), setting a new meet and stadium record.

In the High Jump, 2011 IAAF World Champion in the event, Jesse Williams (USA), competed as a guest athlete, skying over 7’5" and setting a new meet and stadium record. SBTC’s Tom FitzSimons led all decathletes with a jump over 6’6.25" and finished his first day in fourth place.

Over in the Shot Put ring, U.S. Junior and High School Decathlon record holder, Gunnar Nixon, set a meet record with a toss of 15.03m (49'03.75"), outdistancing Eaton's 2013 record.

Day 1 in the Heptathlon

In the heptathlon, guest athletes Antoinette Nana Djimou (FRA), a 3-time European Champion in the Heptathlon, won the Shot Put with a toss of 14,48m (47’06.25"), a new meet and stadium record, while Jessica Zelinka, Canadian record holder in the Heptathlon was second in 14.06m (46’01.50").

SBTC athlete Lindsay Schwartz (USA) is second with 3577 points on the heels of a 13.90 in the 100m Hurdles and a 24.20 in the 200m to finish off her afternoon.

The competition resumes tomorrow at 9:30am with the collegiate sections. The Decathlon A section begins at 11:30am and the Heptathlon A section at 12:00pm.

Complete Results and information: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-combined-events-invitational/

Day 1 Photos

The World's Greatest Athletes Descend Upon Santa Barbara

World record holder & Olympic Champion Ashton Eaton highlights the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational week of events; free Youth Challenge on April 2 at Westmont College

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The world’s greatest athletes have once again descended upon Santa Barbara for the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College on April 4 and 5. The men will compete in the decathlon and women in the heptathlon, which comprise of ten and seven Track & Field disciplines respectively. Champions of these two events are widely considered the “World’s Greatest Athletes”.

Assembling one of the most accomplished decathlon and heptathlon fields on U.S. soil, the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational features 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton (USA), IAAF World Championship medalists Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN) and Damian Warner (CAN), three time European Champion, Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida (FRA), 2010 European Champion, Romain Barras (FRA), and 2013 U.S. Indoor Champions Sharon Day (USA) and Gray Horn (USA). The Sam Adams Invite will also feature the 2011 High Jump World Champion, Jesse Williams (USA), competing as a guest athlete along with universities from around the country.

“The SBTC and Westmont College are truly humbled by the caliber of competition we have the privilege of hosting at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational,” commented Josh Priester, Executive Director of the SBTC and Assistant Coach at Westmont College. “Support by Westmont and the Santa Barbara community have allowed us to elevate the week of events to an international level.”

Winners of the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational will be invited to compete at the June 14 and 15 Oyo Decathlon & Heptathlon Meeting in Oyonnax, France hosted by the athletics club, L'Union Sportive Athletisme Haut Bugey. The French club brought a delegation of 27 athletes and coaches to participate in the SBTC’s ongoing international training camp, which brings together athletes and coaches from all over the world in an environment of shared knowledge and cultural exchange. Athletes from Brazil, Canada, France, United States and Zimbabwe are represented.

[tboot_button color="primary" size="lg" url="http://santabarbaratc.com/2014-sbtc-youth-challenge/" title="More on Youth Challenge"]More on Youth Challenge[/tboot_button]

In addition to the Sam Adams Invite, on Wednesday, April 2 at 4:30pm the Santa Barbara Track Club is organizing its second annual Santa Barbara Youth Challenge to see who will be named Santa Barbara’s ‘Greatest Kid’.  The challenge consists of a coaching clinic with Eaton and other professionals and is followed by a run, jump and throw competition.  The Youth Challenge is a FREE event for children ages 7-12, which is made possible by a generous Santa Barbara Athletic Association grant.

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 combined events athletes and middle distance 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.