Decathlon, heptathlon decided at Penn Relays
While he was sitting out the last two years of competition in the decathlon because of a herniated disk, Vincent Schneider was told by doctors that he probably should be doing something else rather than compete in the grueling multi-event discipline.
While he was sitting out the last two years of competition in the decathlon because of a herniated disk, Vincent Schneider was told by doctors that he probably should be doing something else rather than compete in the grueling multi-event discipline.
So, when he finally returned to competition this week at the Penn Relays, Schneider, who attends Queens University of Charlotte, N.C., wanted to demonstrate to himself he still could do it.
And he did, winning the carnival decathlon Wednesday at Franklin Field with a score of 6,681 points.
"I know myself, and I was pretty sure I'd have the drive to come back," said Schneider, a junior from Germany. "I tried to get [what the doctors said] out of my mind. But I proved to myself that I can still do it. So I was right."
Saija Bikanova, a senior from Connecticut by way of Latvia, held off Penn State freshman Madeline Holmberg, the first-day leader, to win the women's heptathlon.
Schneider, who held a 114-point lead over Christopher Gabor of Mount St. Mary's after the first five events Tuesday, grew his margin to 269 points after Wednesday's first two events. However, the advantage slipped to 89 points after event No. 9 when Gabor, of St. Joseph High in South Jersey, uncorked a javelin throw of 178 feet, 2 inches.
But Schneider put an end to any suspense in the 1,500 meters, defeating Gabor by 13 seconds, to take the first-prize watch.
"It was great to be out here again," Schneider said. "It's rough. It's such a mental struggle, and I kind of forgot about that. But I got reminded. It can only go up from here."
Gabor took second with 6,516 points. Haverford senior Jeff Ainsley, a Holy Ghost Prep graduate, won the 1,500 in 4 minutes, 44.71 seconds to finish with a school record 6,225 points, good for third.
In her first-ever heptathlon, Holmberg leaped 18-41/2 in the long jump, the first event on Wednesday, to lead Bikanova by 124 points. But she managed a javelin throw of just 82-113/4, while Bikanova threw almost 30 feet farther, and the senior suddenly led by 49 points going into the closing 800 meters.
Both women were feeling the pain down the stretch. Holmberg finished in 2:28.26 but was unable to make up the difference. Bikanova, who crossed the line in 2:30.23, won, 5,077 to 5,053.
"We kept going back and forth," Bikanova said. "I was leading. She was leading. But it always comes down to the 800. In my head, I kind of knew how far she could get ahead of me, so I would still have the [points] lead. But the last 50 meters, I didn't see anything. I was just trying to finish."
Holmberg, of Greensburg, Pa., said the competition was a good learning experience.
"I think I had some growing pains coming in and having to recuperate for the second day," she said. "I think I'm in shape for that, but mentally I have to be ready to go and execute. But I'm very happy with it."
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