MOSCOW - University of Idaho senior Andrew Blaser endured gusty conditions Wednesday on his way to a second consecutive Western Athletic Conference decathlon title.
Almost as impressive were the third- and fourth-place finishes from fellow Vandals Colin Briggs and Jeremy Klas - who were competing in the first decathlon of their careers.
Blaser won 7 of 10 events over the two-day competition and held a huge point margin nearly from start to finish. But consistent strong winds and frequent gusts made for a tense day of competition for all athletes involved.
"It was great to get that win and it was even better for me to go into the banquet tonight knowing that we have 20 team points on lock," Blaser said. "We kind of talked before the meet that we could probably go 1-3-5, and being able to make up those little differences was huge."
Blaser scored 6,782 points, and was followed by Utah State senior Jon Goble at 6,470. Briggs (5,928) and Klas (5,609) checked in next.
"I'm really excited that I placed third and finally got first team All-WAC," said Briggs, a six-time All-WAC second team honoree. "I'm not happy that I didn't get to 6,000, but with the wind and the conditions what they were, I'm still very glad to get third place."
In the women's heptathlon, Idaho freshman Johanna Hocketstaller parlayed a strong first day with two more career-best marks on Wednesday to finish second with 5,071. It's the first time she has broken the 5,000-point barrier.
It capped off a tight battle at the top in the competition, where New Mexico State's Zoe Meade won with 5,109 and Samantha Balentine of Hawaii was third at 5,015. The top three finishers all held a lead at some point during the seven-event competition.
"Before my third throw in the javelin, my best was 36 meters and that would have put me in third," Hocketstaller said of the final standings. "If I had hit my personal best in the javelin, I would have finished first. It was so close with the three girls at the top, and it was a really good competition."
Hocketstaller became the sixth woman in Idaho history to join the 5,000-point club in the heptathlon. She also tied two career bests and set four more in the seven events of the competition.
Vandal redshirt freshman Reba Eggert competed in her first career outdoor multi-event, and took ninth with 3,113 points.
The WAC outdoor meet gets going in earnest today, which field events beginning at 11 a.m. and running events starting at 3 p.m. The four-day meet will wrap up Friday.
MEN
Final decathlon standings - 1, Andrew Blaser, UI, 6,782. 2, Jon Goble, USU, 6,470. 3, Colin Briggs, UI, 5,928. 4, Jeremy Klas, UI, 5,609. 5, Jordan McMurray, USU, 4,944. 6, John Johnson, USU, 4,723.
WOMEN
Final heptatlon standings - 1, Zoe Meade, NMSU, 5,109. 2, Johanna Hocketstaller, UI, 5,071. 3, Samantha Balentine, Hawaii, 5,015. 4, Alexa Anderson, Nevada, 4,400. 5, Candace Alvarez, Hawaii, 4,306. 6, Deserae Cota, NMSU, 4,297. 7, Taylor Jackson, FSU, 4,291. 8, McKenzie Johnson, USU, 4,276. 9, Reba Eggert, UI, 3,113.
