Two area decathletes bow out at NCAA track championships

Washington State University’s Darion Powell and Idaho’s Jereme Richardson both dropped out of the decathlon during Wednesday’s opening events of the NCAA Division I track and field championships at rainy Sacramento State University.

Powell stood 11th with 1,538 points after the 100-meter dash and the long jump. But the junior fouled three times in the shot put, picking up zero points, and dropped out before the high jump.

Richardson (2,869 points) was in 11th place after four events, but the senior didn’t compete in the day’s final event, the 400.

Idaho’s Russ Winger qualified for Friday’s men’s shot put finals with a throw of 59 feet, 8 1/4 inches in the preliminaries. Winger, who fouled on his first two attempts, had the eighth-best mark of the prelims.

WSU’s Tyson Byers (University High) moved on to Friday’s finals in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 16-10 3/4 in preliminaries.

Wyoming’s Zack Schaefer (Community Colleges of Spokane) threw 209-1 in qualifying for Friday’s finals of the men’s hammer. He had the ninth-best effort of the day.

WSU’s James McSwain, who came in with the sixth-best time in the men’s 100 (10.19) struggled to a 10.53 and didn’t make the semifinals. Qualifying cut off at 10.50.

Eastern Washington’s Zach Guydish, who had thrown 212-7 in the men’s javelin, had a subpar day in prelims (164-5) and didn’t advance to Friday’s final.

In the women’s javelin, WSU’s Rachel Bertholf of Mt. Spokane High (150-10), EWU’s Jordan Graeme (148-9) and WSU’s Jenna Dean (144-10) all failed to advance to Friday’s finals.

Elsewhere, Marshevet Hooker had a long but highly successful day, a strong start in her effort to lead Texas to the women’s team title.

The sophomore anchored the fastest 400 relay team in the qualifying round, won her first heat in the 100, qualified for the final in the long jump, then after a 10-minute break, ran the fastest 100 semifinal at 11.33.