Thursday, April 3
Austin, Texas
12:00 PM
Liberty University
at
Texas Relays
Hoskins Breaks Pair of Decathlon Records
4/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty senior Brandon Hoskins backed up a strong first-day decathlon effort with an even better performance on Thursday at the 81st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Hoskins finished third with a Liberty and Big South-record 7,800 points, highlighting the Flames' performances on day two at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Hoskins' record-breaking effort was just one of several noteworthy Liberty performances on Thursday. Fellow decathlete Daniel Newell (Jr., Roanoke, Va.) also achieved a career-best score, 6,962, provisionally qualifying for the national meet. In the hammer throw, both Jon Hart (Sr., Wyomissing, Pa.) and Clendon Henderson (Sr., Meadow, Texas) recorded their best marks of the young season, placing third and eighth, respectively.
Hoskins (Garden City, Texas) set three personal bests on his way to recording an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and a "B" qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He now ranks No. 2 on the NCAA national performance list behind Thursday's runner-up, Florida State freshman Gonzalo Barroilhet. The reigning NCAA national heptathlon champion withstood Hoskins' second-day charge by totaling 7,828 points.
The decathlon winner was former Texas standout Trey Hardee, now competing for Nike. The first-day leader tallied 8,371 points to outdistance the field.
Hoskins broke the school and conference record of Ryan Werner, which had stood since June 1, 1995. Werner, Liberty's inaugural Big South Hall of Fame inductee, notched 7,662 points to finish fourth at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships that day.
Hoskins also shattered his own personal-best score of 7,561, established at the 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Texas native matched his first-day score of 3,900 during Thursday's five events.
Pushed along by a strong tailwind, Hoskins qualified for the IC4A Championships in the day's opening event, the 110-meter hurdles. His time, a personal-best 14.85 seconds, proved a sign of things to come.
Hoskins really made his move in the eighth and ninth events, the pole vault and the javelin. He was the third-highest vaulter among the decathletes, soaring to a personal-best 16-2.75 clearance and claiming another IC4A qualification in the process.
The senior then unleashed a personal-best 200-9 on his third and final javelin throw, which turned out to be the day's best mark. Hoskins' IC4A-qualifying throw ties him with Brian Harrell for fourth on Liberty's all-time performance list. It was also the furthest javelin throw by a Flames athlete in 11 years.
Newell's final point tally of 6,962, good for 13th place, marked nearly a 200-point improvement over his previous high score. The junior raced to the day's second-fastest 1,500-meter time, 4:35.53, ensuring him provisional qualification to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time in his Liberty career.
Hart and Henderson were part of a loaded hammer field, which saw 11 out of 16 entrants post NCAA regional-qualifying marks. Hart, competing in his best event, uncorked a season-best 213-11 heave on his fifth of six throws. He moved up to No. 3 on the NCAA national performance list, trailing only Thursday's top two finishers—UCLA junior Boldizsar Kocsor (222-5, first place) and North Carolina freshman Walter Henning (221-4, second place). The Liberty senior posted his second-straight lofty finish at the Texas Relays, following up his fifth-place showing in the hammer throw last season.
Meanwhile, Henderson's top mark, 192-0, came on his third throw. His career-best distance makes him only the fourth Liberty hammer thrower ever to exceed 190 feet and netted him eighth place in the competition. Henderson also became the first NCAA Division I thrower to reach 190 feet in both the hammer and discus this season. He has qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championships in both disciplines.
Liberty athletes will be divided between two meets on Friday. Matt Parker (Jr., Rome, N.Y.) will run the 110-meter hurdles and Henderson will throw the discus at day three of the Texas Relays. Meanwhile, the Flames' distance runners will compete in various events at the Duke Asics Invitational.
Hoskins' record-breaking effort was just one of several noteworthy Liberty performances on Thursday. Fellow decathlete Daniel Newell (Jr., Roanoke, Va.) also achieved a career-best score, 6,962, provisionally qualifying for the national meet. In the hammer throw, both Jon Hart (Sr., Wyomissing, Pa.) and Clendon Henderson (Sr., Meadow, Texas) recorded their best marks of the young season, placing third and eighth, respectively.
Hoskins (Garden City, Texas) set three personal bests on his way to recording an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and a "B" qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He now ranks No. 2 on the NCAA national performance list behind Thursday's runner-up, Florida State freshman Gonzalo Barroilhet. The reigning NCAA national heptathlon champion withstood Hoskins' second-day charge by totaling 7,828 points.
The decathlon winner was former Texas standout Trey Hardee, now competing for Nike. The first-day leader tallied 8,371 points to outdistance the field.
Hoskins broke the school and conference record of Ryan Werner, which had stood since June 1, 1995. Werner, Liberty's inaugural Big South Hall of Fame inductee, notched 7,662 points to finish fourth at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships that day.
Hoskins also shattered his own personal-best score of 7,561, established at the 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Texas native matched his first-day score of 3,900 during Thursday's five events.
Pushed along by a strong tailwind, Hoskins qualified for the IC4A Championships in the day's opening event, the 110-meter hurdles. His time, a personal-best 14.85 seconds, proved a sign of things to come.
Hoskins really made his move in the eighth and ninth events, the pole vault and the javelin. He was the third-highest vaulter among the decathletes, soaring to a personal-best 16-2.75 clearance and claiming another IC4A qualification in the process.
The senior then unleashed a personal-best 200-9 on his third and final javelin throw, which turned out to be the day's best mark. Hoskins' IC4A-qualifying throw ties him with Brian Harrell for fourth on Liberty's all-time performance list. It was also the furthest javelin throw by a Flames athlete in 11 years.
Newell's final point tally of 6,962, good for 13th place, marked nearly a 200-point improvement over his previous high score. The junior raced to the day's second-fastest 1,500-meter time, 4:35.53, ensuring him provisional qualification to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time in his Liberty career.
Hart and Henderson were part of a loaded hammer field, which saw 11 out of 16 entrants post NCAA regional-qualifying marks. Hart, competing in his best event, uncorked a season-best 213-11 heave on his fifth of six throws. He moved up to No. 3 on the NCAA national performance list, trailing only Thursday's top two finishers—UCLA junior Boldizsar Kocsor (222-5, first place) and North Carolina freshman Walter Henning (221-4, second place). The Liberty senior posted his second-straight lofty finish at the Texas Relays, following up his fifth-place showing in the hammer throw last season.
Meanwhile, Henderson's top mark, 192-0, came on his third throw. His career-best distance makes him only the fourth Liberty hammer thrower ever to exceed 190 feet and netted him eighth place in the competition. Henderson also became the first NCAA Division I thrower to reach 190 feet in both the hammer and discus this season. He has qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championships in both disciplines.
Liberty athletes will be divided between two meets on Friday. Matt Parker (Jr., Rome, N.Y.) will run the 110-meter hurdles and Henderson will throw the discus at day three of the Texas Relays. Meanwhile, the Flames' distance runners will compete in various events at the Duke Asics Invitational.
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