Pickler and Arnold repeat at 2009 Indoor USA Combined Events Champs
Posted Monday, 9 March, 2009
Diana Pickler and Jake Arnold won their second consecutive titles over the weekend at the 2009 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships, held at Eddie Smith Field House on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
A 2008 Olympian, Pickler brought home her second women's indoor pentathlon crown with 4,391 points. Pickler's competition began with a win in the 60-meter hurdles (8.24). She then had the second-best marks in the high jump (1.79 meters/5 feet 10.5 inches) and long jump (6.14m/20-1.75), the third fastest time in 800m (2:20.05) and threw 11.59m/38-0.25 in the shot put.
Sharon Day, a 2008 Olympian in the high jump, was the runner-up with 4,320 points. Day had an individual win in the high jump, clearing 1.85m/6-0.75. Julie Pickler, twin sister to Diana and the 2007 NCAA runner-up, was third with 4,292 points having won the 800m (2:15.89).
A two-time NCAA decathlon champion who finished fourth in that event at the 2008 Olympic Trials, Arnold won his second consecutive men's indoor heptathlon title with 5,748 points. Winning both the shot put (14.94m/49-0.25) and pole vault (4.95m/16-2.75), he had second-best performances in the high jump (1.97m/6-5.5) and 60m hurdles (8.15).
Former Cal State Northridge standout Justin Johnson was the runner-up in the heptathlon with 5,514 points having won the long jump (7.17m/23-6.25) and the high jump (2.03m/6-8). Wisconsin grad Joe Detmer moved from sixth place to finish third after running a meet record 2:31.54 in the 1,000m.
For more information and complete results from the 2009 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships, visit www.usatf.org.
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