Barbara Nwaba represents Team USA and the Santa Barbara Track Club in Beijing beginning, Saturday, August 22 (August 21 PST); SBTC athletes enjoy summer of success representing their country; Santa Barbara connected athletes also shine From Santa Barbara Track Club
World Championship Heptathlon Results & Schedule of Events With PST Time Schedule (IAAF) World Championship Timetable with Local Viewing Times (IAAF) Complete Television & Live Streaming Schedule (LetsRun.com)
The Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC), hosted at Westmont College, has been enjoying a thrilling summer with six athletes representing their country in 2015. They are led by 2015 USA Heptathlon champion, Barbara Nwaba, who will represent Team USA in Beijing, China at the IAAF World Championships beginning Saturday, August 22 (August 21 in the Pacific Time Zone).
Nwaba's Rise to the Top, Enters World Championships Ranked 5th
Nwaba's journey to stardom began down Highway 101 in Los Angeles where she became a prep standout for University High School. Joining the UC-Santa Barbara Gaucho squad under the tutelage of Coach Josh Priester (now SBTC Head Coach), she became a 4x NCAA All-American, 6x Big West Champion and set the Big West record in the Heptathlon. Three years from her 2012 graduation she became the first Gaucho in the program's history to win a USA Track & Field title winning the heptathlon at the 2015 Outdoor Championships in Eugene, OR.
In these three short years Nwaba has improved over 500 points in the Heptathlon becoming the 6th All-Time American in the event with 6500pts, which she achieved at the USA Championships in June. She will also enter the IAAF World Championships with the 5th best mark in the world this year and 11th best personal record in the field.
Heptathlon Event by Event (All-Times Listed PST)
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DAY 1
100m Hurdles - 8/21 @ 6:00pm PST, Universal Sports: Nwaba PB = 13.38 High Jump - 8/21 @ 7:20pm PST, Universal Sports: Nwaba PB = 1.87m (6'1.5) Shot Put - 8/22 @ 3:30am PST, NBC (Noon, tape delayed) / Universal Sports (4PM, tape delayed): 14.54 (47'8.5) 200m - 8/22 @ 5:15am PST, NBC (Noon, tape delayed) / Universal Sports (4PM, tape delayed): Nwaba PB = 23.76 Long Jump - 8/22 @ 6:00pm PST, Universal Sports: Nwaba PB = 6.23 (20'5.25) Javelin Throw - 8/22 @ 7:50pm / 9:05pm PST, Universal Sports: Nwaba PB = 44.47 (147'5) 800m - 8/23 @ 4:40am PST, Universal Sports (10am, tape delayed) / Universal Sports (4PM, tape delayed): Nwaba PB = 2:07.13
DAY 2
SBTC Enjoys Summer of Success
It has been a banner 2015 season for the SBTC with six athletes representing their countries:
Barbara Nwaba (USA) - IAAF World Championship Qualifier, Heptathlon Lindsay Schwartz (USA) - Thorpe Cup, Bronze Medalist, Heptathlon Lindsay Lettow (USA) - Thorpe Cup, 5th Place, Heptathlon Tom FitzSimons (USA) - Thorpe Cup Qualifier, Decathlon Derek Masterson (USA) - Pan American Games, 9th Place, Decathlon Keegan Cooke (ZIM) - All Africa Games Qualifier (September 4- 19, Brazzaville, Congo)
Santa Barbara Shines
A number of athletes who train in Santa Barbara year-round or in part have also excelled in 2015:
Ryan Martin (USA - UCSB / ASICS) - 800m North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) Champion; 800m Pan America Games Bronze Medalist Scott Smith (USA - UCSB / Northern Arizona Elite) - Marathon, IAAF World Championships Qualifier (August 21, 4:35pm PST on Universal Sports) Ashton Eaton (USA - Oregon Track Club) - Decathlon, IAAF World Championships Qualifier; #1 Ranked in the World Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN - Oregon Track Club) - Heptathlon, IAAF World Championships Qualifier; #2 Ranked in the World Damian Warner (CAN) - Decathlon, IAAF World Championships Qualifier Lauren Johnson (CAN - Oregon Track Club) - 800m, IAAF World Championships Qualifier
SUPPORTING SBTC
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the support of donors and our community outreach programs. We're proud to have one of the only track clubs in the country in which our athletes play a vital role in giving back and mentoring youth through our SB Youth Track Club and its various local programs throughout the year. They do more than simply train in Santa Barbara. They create a positive impact in the lives of area youth while we as coaches and you as donors get to support and inspire the Olympic dreams of some of the United States top heptathlon and decathlon hopefuls. You are helping athlete's dreams come true!
As we prepare to head into the championship season and the 2016 Olympic year, we would greatly appreciate your support of these fine athletes within the Santa Barbara Track Club for their travel, living expenses and training needs. All donations are tax deductible and will go towards the athletes we 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.