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

Santa Barbara Track Club Sends Three to Compete for Team USA at Thorpe Cup

Lindsay Schwartz and Lindsay Lettow join seven woman roster to compete at the USA vs. Germany Thorpe Cup beginning Friday, July 29 in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Barbara Nwaba to compete in select events in tune up to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro; Financial support for SBTC continues to be raised in record numbers

Thorpe Cup Heptathlon Media Guide

Thorpe Cup Live Results

SBTC Youth Club & supporters send off SBTC athletes at the Santa Barbara Airport

Santa Barbara, Calif. – While the Olympic Games in Rio grab the public's attention, athletes representing Team USA stretch around the world during the summer to represent the United States in select international competitions. After strong competitions during the USA Olympic Track & Field Team Trials earlier this month, the Westmont College based ABEO Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) athletes Lindsay Schwartz and Lindsay Lettow were selected to join Team USA and compete in the Thorpe Cup, a unique Combined Events meet between Germany and the U.S. that dates back to 1993 and is named after famous U.S. Olympian Jim Thorpe. The Thorpe Cup will be held in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30.

The Road to Arkansas

Schwartz, a University of South Alabama alumni and native of Watertown, WI, finished 9th in a deep Heptathlon national championship competition. Her 6036pts was a personal best as she became the third SBTC athlete to crack the 6000pt barrier in the two-day, seven-event Heptathlon. This marks her third year competing for Team USA at the Thorpe Cup and enters the competition as the reigning bronze medalist; she also earned a bronze medal in 2013.

While Lettow, a Central Missouri alumni and native of Urbandale, IL, fell just shy of her personal best and 6000pts at the USA Olympic Track & Field Trials, her 5960pts put her in 10th place, right behind teammate Schwartz, grabbing a Team USA roster spot for the sixth consecutive year. Lettow, a veteran on the squad will look to earn her first medal in Fayetteville.

Also listed as an alternate for the Thorpe Cup is SBTC's Tom FitzSimons, Jr. to represent Team USA in the Decathlon.

Thorpe Cup Event Record Holder, Nwaba Tunes Up on Road to Rio

The road to Rio de Janeiro and the 2016 Olympic Games has truly begun for Barbara Nwaba who departed Santa Barbara with her teammates earlier today. Nwaba will compete at select events at the Thorpe Cup, serving as a tune-up for the Olympic Games. As of time of publication she is entered to compete in the 100m Hurdles, Shot Put and Long Jump. Nwaba is the 2014 Thorpe Cup champion and event record holder with 6205pts, which she set that year in Marburg, Germany.

SBTC Hosts Successful Pathway to the Podium & Launches Online Store

On Saturday, July 23 SBTC hosted a community fundraiser that comprised of an obstacle course and various track events celebrating Nwaba's path to the Olympic Games. SBTC wishes to thank the entire Santa Barbara community who has supported its athletes not only in 2016, but the previous four years, helping to launch the Club and its rapid ascent in Track & Field. Record number of funds have been raised to support Nwaba's trip along with those of SBTC's Executive Director & Head Coach Josh Priester and team physical therapist and chiropractor Dr. Ernie Ferrel. Additional donations raised beyond the cost of the trip will support the continued growth of SBTC's Youth Track Club and community programming for years to come.

Donate online to the SBTC! Shop SBTC Gear to show your support!

ABOUT SBTC

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.

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.

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.

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.