By Phillip Brents
Posted June 28, 2005

2005 San Diego High School Multi-Event Championships winners: Sarah Brown (girls heptathlon) and David Dillow (boys decathlon). 

The decathlon (for men) and heptathlon (for women) are Olympic sports marquee events — measuring sticks, if you will, for the best all-around men’s and women’s athlete in the world. That "best all-around" aspect of track and field competition is not foreign to the amateur ranks in the United States — both events are contested at the collegiate ranks — but it is certainly less well known, especially at the high school level.

But the prep edition is not without its own "iron-men" and "Iron-women."

The San Diego High School Multi-Event Championships were contested June 11-12 at Cuyamaca College to wrap up the local prep track and field season.

Eleven boys participated in this year’s event, with eight competing both days and nine finishing. Four girls competed.

Boys entrants competed in 10 events while girls entrants competed in seven events.

The winners joined an impressive list of past champions. The event has been ongoing since 1989. The names read like a "who’s who" in the multi-sport realm. Past South County champions include Sweetwater’s Erin Asay (2001), Hilltop’s Kathy Sorenson (1994), Mike Arms (1996) and Kurt Klaser (1989). Past East County champions include West Hills’ Andrew Musbach (1997), Amber Martin (1998), Mike Cunningham (2001 and 2002), Amy Bennett (2003), El Capitan’s Philip Hepp (1991), Karl Clinger (1995), Maggi Escudero (1999) and Tim Montgomery (2003) and Grossmont’s Eva Tanner (2002).

Among them, Asay has gone on to have a standout career in the women’s pole vault at SDSU. Mar Vista’s Ben Knight, who holds the record in the men’s javelin in the San Diego County multi-sport championships (168-6, set in 2000), went on to score more than 7,000 points at the community college state finals (for Cuyamaca College) and recently captured this year’s NAIA decathlon championship while attending Dickinson College in North Dakota.

Impressive. The event can serve as a springboard to discovering one’s potential, especially at the collegiate level.

"This little meet might be a small meet but it could lead to bigger things, especially at the college level," said meet director Lyle Barton, who serves as an assistant track and field coach at West Hills High School.

"Kids can never find out how great they can be if they don’t try new stuff," said Cuyamaca men’s track and field coach Patrick Thiss, who was keenly watching the competition.

Calvin Christian sophomore David Dillow successfully defended his decathlon title by scoring 4,889 points, followed by West Hills junior Jeremy Root with 4,791 points and David’s twin brother, Nathan Dillow, in third place with 4,738 points. Three other boys topped the 4,000-point plateau: West Hills senior Jason Beckham (fourth, 4,454 points), Poway’s James Bush (fifth, 4,255 points) and West Hills sophomore Eric Stodden (sixth, 4,078 points). Rounding out the decathlon field were Rancho Bernardo’s Daniel Murawka (seventh, 3,992 points), West Hills junior Brendan Smith (eighth, 3,692 points) and Point Loma’s Derrick Harp (ninth, 1,680 points).

Photo: West Hills' Brandon Smith practices his form in the boys discus throw.

Tri-City Christian sophomore Sarah Brown just missed establishing a new girls heptathlon record by finishing first with 3,967 points. Mesa Verde Middle School student Kortney Ross gave her high school rivals something to think about by finishing second with 2,517 points. Mar Vista’s Amanda Mathew finished third with 2,406 points ahead of Monte Vista’s Meagan Dowdy, who finished fourth with 1,359 points.

The competition was spread over two days, with the boys competing in five events (100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter dash) the first day and five events (110-meter high hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500-meter run) the second day. Girls competed in four events (100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200-meter dash) the first day and finished up with three events (long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter dash).

Root finished as the first day leader with 2,710 points, followed by David Dillow with 2,508 points, Stodden with 2,479 points and Beckham with 2,468 points. Nathan Dillow, who finished second last year, was fifth with 2,445 points, followed by Rancho Bernardo’s Evan Chisholm with 2,388 points, Poway’s James Bush (seventh, 2,284 points), Murawka (eighth, 2,227 points), Smith (ninth, 2,076 points) and Rancho Bernardo’s Joey Hall (1,587 points).

Hall did not complete the first day, bowing out in the final event. Chisholm also did not return for the second day.

The eight survivors were joined the second day by Point Loma’s Harp, who was unable to compete the first day because of work commitments. Harp could have placed higher in the standings had he been able to complete the first six events.

Photo: West Hills' Jason Beckham flies over a hurdle to jump-start the second day of competition. (Photo by Christopher Sampson) 

Brown led handily after the first day of competition.

In the multi-event championships, participants are not necessarily competing against one another — in a sense they are — but more appropriately against time standards and field marks that award points for performance. The standards are measured against Olympic marks. The better the standard, the higher the point value. In some instances, a margin of a few seconds can mean the difference between first and second place — or setting a points record.

After each event, athletes could be seen keenly checking out the leader board. In some instances, the standings order changed after each event.

The winner in the boys competition was not decided until the final stride across the finish line in the 10th and final event while the girls heptathlon came down to an exciting finish as well, with a meet record hanging in the balance.

"Everything in a heptathlon and decathlon has to do with gathering points. The more points you get, the better off you are," Barton said.

The multi-event championships also served as a fun event as athletes got to try events in which they had no prior experience. There was an on-field debate as to which specialized track or field athlete — the pole vaulter, high jumper, shot-putter, long-jump, discus thrower, sprinter, distance runner —had the best advantage in a decathlon or heptathlon. What counted the most: brawn, speed for jumping ability?

Opinions were varied, though the general consensus was that pole vaulters might have a slight edge.

"We do a lot of running preparing for our event. We do a lot of sprints. You have to have a lot of upper body strength to vault and you also have to jump," said West Hills’ Smith, whose specialty events in high school competition include the pole vault and high jump.

But not so fast. Hurdlers should also rate near the top of decathlon top point-getters, according to West Hills’ Beckham, who finished third at this year’s Grossmont North League in the boys 110 hurdles. "In the 110 hurdles, it’s almost like being a sprinter. We also run the 300 — it’s a longer distance — and that gets you in shape," he said.

Another vote came for high jumpers. "High jumpers have leg strength. You got that pop. You have to get to the mat to get over the bar," West Hills’ Stodden said.

Of course, a combination of the above would work quite nicely. The Dillow twins owe their success to their all-around duty on a small track and field team. Both brothers compete in the pole vault, long jump, 4x400 relay and hurdles.

Heading into the final two events, David Dillow led his twin brother by 18 points after the two siblings had passed Root in the eighth event, the pole vault. David Dillow passed Root for the points lead by clearing 3.40 meters to finish third overall among the nine vaulters while Root cleared 1.88 meters to place last. Dillow collected 457 points in the event while Root added just 117 points to his cumulative score. Demonstrating just how an unfamiliar event can affect one’s score, Dillow entered the pole vault trailing Root by 204 points. After the pole vault, Dillow held a 136-point lead.

Heading into the final event, David Dillow held a 112-point lead on his brother and a 153-point lead on Root.

The final 1,500 distance event, however, was perfectly suited for Root, a cross country runner. The outcome of the overall points championship, in fact, would come down to by how much Root could beat Dillow in the 1,500. If Root won by upwards of a 10-second margin, he could pass Dillow for the decathlon title.

The race played out to the West Hills runner’s fortunes with the exception that Root was in the lead the entire race, with no one to play catch-up against. Root won the event in 4:44.3 while Dillow, reaching deep down for that extra kick, finished second in 4:53.4. The 9.1-second win by Root left the Wolf Pack decathlete 102 points short of catching Dillow. Root needed to win by a 15-second margin to overcome that deficit.

"Usually, I have someone to pace off on. This time I was the leader," said Root, who won this year’s Grossmont North League boys 800-meter run title and finished third at last year’s Grossmont North League boys cross country finals. "But I finished second to the person who won it last year. I’ll be back next year."

Heading into the final two events, David Dillow led his twin by 18 points and held a 136-point lead on Root.

Root lost 340 points to David Dillow by finishing last in the pole vault. "The pole vault really hurt me," Root said with a good-natured laugh.

The two-time decathlon winner admitted he was pushed to the very end.  "It came down to the 1,500 both years. I wanted to get 5,000 points this year," said Dillow, who improved in every event this year except the long jump.

Dillow won last year’s decathlon title with 4,261 points. The meet record is 6,549 set by Northern California’s Matt Chiasm in 2000.

Root scored highest in the four running events: 100 meters (774 points), 400 meters (682 points), 1,500 meters (653 points) and 110 hurdles (563 points). He won the 100, 400 and 1,500 events. Root’s poorest efforts came in the shot put (413 points), discus throw (387 points), javelin throw (361 points), high jump (345 points) and pole vault (117 points).

In placing third, Nathan Dillow scored more than 500 points in five of the 10 events. Bush surpassed 500 points in four events while Beckham eclipsed the 500-point plateau in three events. Stodden and Murawka both totaled 500 or more points in two events.

Brown finished with a 3,967 point total — five points from tying the 15-year-old record. The five-point differential equated to just three-quarters of a second.

Still, her performance over the two days was nothing short of exceptional. She gained 500 or more points in five of the seven events, scoring highest in the 200 dash (679 points) and 100 hurdles (678 points).

She has two more years to pursue the meet record and make it hers.

As for her success, Brown may owe it to genetics. Her famous relatives include triathlete legend Scott Tinley and Kelly Rowland, an Olympic bronze medalist with the USA women’s water polo team. Brown, who finished second in the Division II long jump , fourth in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the 300 hurdles, holds 28 school records in 11 events and three Coastal Conference records.

However, it was in one of her specialty events — the long jump — that likely cost her the meet record at this year’s championships after finishing 5.5 inches short of her 16-9.5 mark in May’s section finals.

Ross scored highest in the 200 dash (592 points) and high jump (439 points). She finished second in four of the seven events.

Mathew’s highest scores came in the 200 dash (482 points) and 800 run (413 points). She finished second in the shot put (6.87 meters), javelin throw (21.06 meters) and 800 run (2:55.0).
Mathew’s expertise does not lie in track and field at all but in swimming. She was a member of Mar Vista’s South Bay League dual meet championship team this season, specializing in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle events.

Mathew’s reasons for competing were also different from most of her co-participants. Her uncle is the meet director.

Her goal was to improve and she did that, moving up from a fourth-place finish last year in a deeper field.

"The most challenging is the 800. It’s a longer run. The most satisfying event (to complete) is the high jump," she said. "It’s something different. You feel rushed doing it but then it’s very rewarding after you do it."

Dowdy competed four years in track and field at Monte Vista. Her goal was just to finish and do her best in each event. She competed in all but the opening event (100 hurdles) in the two days of competition. "It’s exciting but disappointing when you don’t do well," she said.

RB’s Murawka placed sixth in the boys discus (146-3) at this year’s section finals.

West Hills’ Beckham finished seventh in the boys 110 hurdles (16.97) at the Division I finals.

1989: Kurt Klaser (Hilltop) 5,842

1990: Wes Stephens (Orange Glen) 5,678

1991: Philip Hepp (El Capitan) 5,361

1992: Dan Reeve (Ramona) 4,716

1993: Dan Reeve (Ramona) 5,480

1994: Harold Carlisle (Ramona) 5,118

1995: Karl Clinger (El Capitan) 5,498

1996: Mike Arms (Hilltop) 5,404

1997: Andrew Musbach (West Hills) 5,348

1998: Maurice Douglas (San Diego) 5,638

1999: Jason Gatewood (RBV) 6,248

2000: Matt Chiasm (Northern California) 6,549

2001: Mike Cunningham (West Hills) 5,734

2002: Mike Cunningham (West Hills) 5,737

2003: Tim Montgomery (El Capitan) 4,847

2004: David Dillow (Calvin Christian) 4,261

2005: David Dillow (Calvin Christian) 4,889

Girls Heptathlon

1989: Allison Eilerts (San Pasqual) 3,683

1990: Allison Eilerts (San Pasqual) 3,972

1991: C.J. Hardman (Poway) 3,716

1992: Karma McCalister (Ramona) 3,901

1993: Jenny Butler (San Pasqual) 3,540

1994: Kathy Sorenson (Hilltop) 3,430

1995: Joy Gertsch (San Pasqual) 3,460

1996: Joy Gertsch (San Pasqual) 3,610

1997: Morgan Romine (La Jolla) 3,585

1998: Amber Martin (West Hills) 3,550

1999: Maggi Escudero (El Capitan) 3,660

2000: Mikaelyn Austin (Rancho Bernardo) 3,900

2001: Erin Asay (Sweetwater) 3,482

2002: Eva Tanner (Grossmont) 3,769

2003: Amy Bennett (West Hills) 1,822

2004: Whitney Sieln (La Costa Canyon) 3,710

2005: Sarah Brown (Tri-City Christian) 3,967

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