Blanchard rallies to win Whitworth decathlon
3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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University of Montana junior Michael Blanchard won the decathlon with 5,704 points at the Buc Multi-Events at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., Friday afternoon. Blanchard???s point total, in his first career decathlon, met the Big Sky Conference qualifying standard of 5,500 points.
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Blanchard beat out three Whitworth athletes for the victory. Pirates junior Curtis Powell was second with 5,466 points, freshman Jonathan Soulier was third with 4,797 points and senior Timothy Kirkpatrick was fourth with 4,483 points.
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Blanchard trailed Powell after the opening day???s five events by 191 points and needed a rally over the decathlon???s final three events Friday to pull out the victory.
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Blanchard beat Powell by over a second in the 110-meter hurdles in Friday???s opening event to pull within 89 points of the lead, but Powell had the day???s best discus throw of 112-11 to win the second event by over 20 feet and open up a 246-point lead over Blanchard.
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Needing a big effort in his signature event, Blanchard went 13-3.5 in the pole vault, then beat his three competitors by over 20 feet in the javelin to take a 45-point lead going into the day???s final event.
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Soulier won the 1,500 meters in a time of 4:41.04, with Blanchard right behind at 4:42.04. Kirkpatrick ran a 5:14.74, Powell a 5:15.24.
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Blanchard had other day-two efforts of 17.66 in the 110-meter hurdles, 86-8 in the discus and 145-10 in the javelin.
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Blanchard??was competing in eight of the 10 events for the first time in his outdoor collegiate career.
