University of Minnesota Athletics

Wednesday, June 7
Eugene, Ore.
2:30 PM

University of Minnesota

at

2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Wieland Leads NCAA Decathlon Field

6/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

June 7, 2017

Photo Gallery

Results

EUGENE, Ore. (GopherSports.com) - At the halfway point of competition, University of Minnesota senior Luca Wieland leads the decathlon competition at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held at Oregon's Hayward Field.

Through five events, Wieland totaled 4,440 points and holds an 86-point lead over Georgia's Devon Williams in second.


A native of Saarbrucken, Germany, Wieland led the field in the high jump competition at 2.16 meters (7-01.00 ft.) for 953 points while he came in second in the 100 meters at 10.56 for 961 points and third in the long jump at 7.66 meters (25-01.75 ft.) for 975 points. He added a ninth-place showing in the shot put at 13.79 meters (45-03.00 ft.) for 715 points and a 15th-place performance in the 400 meters at 49.54 for 836 points.

Wieland, who previously won the 2015 NCAA title and was a two-time All-American in the heptathlon, will try to lock up Minnesota's first-ever national title in the decathlon on Thursday while he would be just the third Gopher to earn All-America accolades in the event - joining Benjamin Jensen (1997) and Travis Brandstatter (2004, 2005). Wieland is part of three school records (all set during the current academic year) - the decathlon (8,201 points), the heptathlon (6,070 points) and the 4x100 meter relay (39.80).


Meanwhile, the Maroon & Gold locked up a pair of Second Team All-America honors on Wednesday from Nate Roese and Obsa Ali.

Roese closed out his collegiate career with a personal record of 1:47.61 in the 800 meters, finishing 14th in the semifinals. The senior earned his second career Second Team All-America honor after picking up the honor last year as part of Minnesota's outdoor 4x400 meter relay team. Roese, who set the school indoor 600 meter record earlier this year, moved up to seventh in school history in the outdoor 800 meters with Wednesday's performance. Mitch Hechsel came in 19th at 1:48.52.

In his debut at the NCAA championships, Ali ran 8:49.00 to finish 14th in the 3,000 meter steeplechase - picking up his first career All-America nod.

Wieland closes out the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Minnesota on Thursday, competing in the final five events of the decathlon (110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500 meters).

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