Santa Barbara Track Club's Lindsay Schwartz and Chico State's J. Patrick Smith, a Santa Barbara native, take home titles; two more meet records fall on a windy day two of the combined events invitational. Complete Results Day 1 Recap
Santa Barbara, Calif. - It was a day of gusting winds coming off the picturesque Santa Yynez Mountains at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College. Today's events concluded the two day international competition.
Schwartz Shines on Day 2
SBTC's Lindsay Schwartz (USA) took home the Heptathlon title finishing with 5942 points; her second best total ever. Schwartz got off to a good start in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.95m (19'06.25") and capped off her day with a strong 2:16.71 in the 800m. The mark qualifies her for the 2014 USA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, CA from June 26-29. Schwartz is currently ranked number one in the U.S. and third in the world.
Lindsay Lettow (USA), a four-time NCAA Division II Champion at Central Missouri, finished second in 5674 and Shana Woods rounded out the top three with 5668 points after leaping to a meet record 6.26m (20'06.50) in the Long Jump. Fellow SBTC teammate, Barbara Nwaba (USA), who led after day one, fouled out of the competition in the Long Jump.
Santa Barbara's Smith Brings Home Win
As the afternoon in the Decathlon went on, sustained winds of 15-20mph and gusts over 40mph created a challenging environment for the athletes, especially in the final three events - Pole Vault, Javelin and 1500m Run. That did not stop J. Patrick Smith from sustaining consistent performances of his own over the two days winning with 7351 points. His efforts included a 15.39 in the 110m Hurdles, a personal best 42.44m (139'03") in the Discus and a 4:47.68 in the howling wind to cap off the day in the 1500m. Smith, a local Dos Pueblos High School standout, is the two-time reigning NCAA Division II national champion for Chico State. Smith currently leads all NCAA Division II competitors and is ranked fifth in the U.S.
Reinis Kregers of Kansas State finished second with 7304 points and John Brunk of Chico State rounded out the top three with 7262 points.
Guest athlete, Gunnar Nixon, the U.S. High School and Junior record holder in the Decathlon, started off day two with a 14.66 win in the 110m Hurdles. Mathias Ako Bienes, a member of the French National team for L’Union Sportive Athletisme Haut Bugey, won the Discus in a meet record 47.32 (155'03"). A french contingency competed throughout the weekend as part of SBTC's ongoing international training camp.
Complete Results and information: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-combined-events-invitational/