Daniel Earns Third Place in Heptathlon at NWC Multi-Event Championships

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Bekah Daniel (Jr., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap HS) from Willamette University finished in third place in the heptathlon with a personal record score of 4,411 points, as the Northwest Conference Multi-Event Championships concluded on Tuesday, April 15 at the Charles Bowles Track.

The previous top score for Daniel in the heptathlon was 4,364 points at the West Coast Invitational in 2013. While earning her new record, Daniel set personal-best marks in three events.

Daniel set one of her records in the final event -- the 800-meter run. She completed the two laps of the track in 2:26.77, breaking her previous record of 2:30.55 by 3.78 seconds. On Monday, she set personal records of 15.12 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and 34' 8.25" in the shot put.

Maria Green of George Fox University won the heptathlon with 4,526 points. Charity Arn, also from George Fox, took second place just 12 points behind Green at 4,514. Daniel followed in third, with Emily Moore of Whitworth University earning fourth place at 4,071. Dallas Edge from Linfield College was fifth with 3,973 points.

Willamette's Molly Bond (So., Clarkston, WA/Asotin HS) placed 11th overall with a score of 3,185. A total of 13 athletes participated in the heptathlon.

In Tuesday's first event, Arn won the long jump with a distance of 18' 0.25". Daniel and Sarah Frazier from George Fox tied for second at 17' 1.25".

Green won the javelin throw with a toss of 127' 2.75", while Emily Sheldon from the University of Puget Sound was second at 100' 0". Hannah Walton of Pacific Lutheran University took first place in the 800-meter run at 2:25.13, while Daniel was second.

The three highest event scores during the two days of the heptathlon were recorded in the 100-meter hurdles on Monday. Edge scored 875 points with a time of 14.75 seconds, while Arn tallied 851 points in 14.93 seconds and Daniel earned 826 points with her time of 15.12 seconds.

Peter Delap of Whitworth placed first in the decathlon with 6,731 points. He led by 124 points after the first day, before extending his lead to 491 points in the final standings. Ezekiel Smith from George Fox was second at 6,240 and Stephen Cooper of Whitworth was third at 6,162.

Fourth place went to Cameron Braithwaite from the University of Puget Sound with 6,143 points. Erich VanBergen from GFU was fifth with 6,023 points. A total of nine athletes competed in the decathlon. Willamette did not have anyone participating.

Event winners during the second day of the decathlon included Delap in the 110-meter hurdles at 16.25 seconds, Aaron Koford of Pacific University in the discus throw at 127' 4.25", Joe Cerne from Puget Sound in the javelin throw at 174' 0" and Jon Williams from Whitworth in the 1,500-meter run at 4:34.98. Delap, Braithwaite and Michael Teves from Pacific tied for first place in the pole vault at 13' 7".

Smith achieved the highest event score of the decathlon when he earned 797 points on Monday with a time of 11.29 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

The remainder of the NWC Championships will be held on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 in Tacoma, Wash. Puget Sound will be hosting the meet.