Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: May 1, 2009

Meet Rewind:

Meet Results: MIAC Decathlon Meet Results

Meet Pic Gallery: MIAC Decathlon Meet Pictures

Meet Recap:

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (5/1/09)-- Concordia posted four athletes in the top six at the MIAC Decathlon held at Carleton College in Northfield. The quartet of top six finishes helped the Cobbers jump to the early lead in the overall MIAC Track and Field Championship Meet. CC leads the field with 20 points heading into the bulk of the meet next weekend.

The conference decathlon turned into one of the most hotly contested events in recent memory. The entire 10-event competition came down to the 1500 meters - the final race of the event. Three different athletes had a chance to post the overall win. Concordia senior Paul Westmark was second heading into the final event and finished second in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:30.34. Westmark finished with 6,397 points which was only 38 points behind Brayden Wagner of St. John's who won the 1500 meters and the decathlon.

Westmark's score is a season best and provisionally qualifies him for the NCAA National Meet. His score ranks him seventh in the nation. Westmark's two best events in the conference decathlon were the 110-meter hurdles and 400 meters. He scored over 1500 points in those two events alone. He had the best time of any competitor in the hurdles and the long jump.

Cobber junior Marly Simmons turned in a top four finish as he recorded a score of 5,927 points. That mark is a career best for Simmons. He scored the majority of his points in the sprints and middle distance. Simmons was right behind Westmark in the 110-meter hurdles. He posted his highest point total of any event in that race, finishing with 738 points.

One of the most dramatic tales of the decathlon belonged to Concordia senior Paul Shol. Shol entered the meet as one of the top three favorites. He was in the hunt all the way until the eighth event when he failed to post a height in the pole vault. Even with failing to get any points in the pole vault, Shol still managed to finish fifth with a final total of 5,691 points. If he would have cleared 10 feet in the event, he would have posted enough points to provisionally qualify for the national meet. Shol's top height in the pole vault this season is 12-08.25.

Concordia's quality quartet was rounded out by junior Jeff Bakke who finished in sixth place with a final score of 5,611 points. That total is also a career best for Bakke. His best event of the competition was the very first event of the meet where he ran a 11.45 in the 100 meters and recorded 763 points. His time was the fastest of any competitor in the field.