Nixon leads decathlon at USA Junior meet

FAYETTEVILLE – After one day of competition at the 2012 USA Junior Track and Field Championships, Gunnar Nixon is in first place through the first five events of the decathlon. The Razorback freshman posted a day-one score of 4,062 points. In other action at the junior meet, Arkansas signee Jarrion Lawson won an event title in the long jump with a mark of 7.77m/25-6. The three-day meet is being held at the Robert C. Haugh Complex in Bloomington, Ind.

Just eight days after the end of his collegiate season, Nixon holds the lead in the decathlon in the 26-man field. After a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 meter and long jump and a second-place showing in the shot put, he was in second place in the overall standings. Nixon took hold of the competition with a personal-best performance in the high jump, clearing the bar set at 2.17m/7-1.5. He entered the meet with an outdoor best of 2.05m/6-8.75.

The Edmond, Okla., native closed out the day with a fifth-place run in the 400 meters. Nixon finished in the top five of each event Friday. With 4,062 points, he leads the competition by more than 200 points; Garrett Scantling of Georgia is currently second with 3,855 points. Decathlon participants are using junior-sized implements which affect the 110-meter hurdles, shot put and discus.

Lawson, a member of the Razorbacks’ 2012-13 signing class, won the long jump in his first of two events this weekend. He is also scheduled to compete Saturday in the triple jump. Lawson ended the day with a wind-aided jump of 7.77m/25-6 to win the competition. He had a wind-legal mark of 7.76m/25-5.5 that would have also won the title.

The 2012 USA Junior Track and Field Championships is a showcase event for high school standouts and top college freshman. The meet will serve as a qualifier for this year’s IAAF World Junior Championships that will be contested July 10-15 in Barcelona, Spain. The top-two finishers in each event who have met qualifying standards will be invited to compete for Team USA.

Competition at the junior meet continues Saturday afternoon with the final five events of the decathlon for Nixon, triple jump for Lawson and shot put for Devin Randall. For more information regarding Razorback track and field or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Friday Results
Decathlon (day one)
1. Gunnar Nixon – 4,062 points
    3. 100m – 11.39 (776 points)
    3. Long jump – 6.96m/22-10 (804 points)
    2. Shot put – 14.12m/46-4 (736 points)
    1. High jump – 2.17m/7-1.5 [PR] (963 points)
    5. 400m – 50.69 (783 points)

Long Jump
1. Jarrion Lawson* – 7.77m/25-6w

* - 2012-13 signee