Indoor Combined Champs

Indoor Combined Champs

INDIANAPOLIS - 2008 Olympian Diana Pickler easily won the women's pentathlon title and three-time Olympian Tom Pappas leads the men's heptathlon after the first day of competition at the 2010 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

The reigning U.S. women's heptathlon champion, Pickler had little difficulty in winning her third consecutive USA Indoor Pentathlon crown, making her the first ever to win that many titles in this event.

Pickler began the five-event competition with a win in the 60m hurdles in 8.31 seconds (1,059 points). Bettie Wade won the next two events, the long jump (1.85 meters/6 feet .75 inch - 1,041 points) and shot put (13.67m/440in25 - 772 points), before Pickler bounced back with a win in the long jump with a best effort of 6.28m/200in25 - 937 points.

2008 Olympic Games high jumper Sharon Day, who finished as the runner-up to Pickler at this event last year, capped off the competition with a win in the 800m in 2 minutes 14.63 seconds - 898 points, with Pickler finishing as the runner-up in 2:15.33 - 888 points.

Pickler's winning five-event tally of 4,544 points easily bettered her previous personal best of 4,442 points. Wade finished as the runner-up with a personal best total of 4,469 points, with Day finishing third with 4,467 points, also a career best.

The 2003 World decathlon champion and two-time winner of this event (2000& 2002) Tom Pappas leads the men's heptathlon competition with three events to be contested on Sunday.

Pappas' win in the shot put (15.90 meters/52 feet 2 inches - 845 points) propelled him into the lead with 3,327 points. Former University of Nebraska standout Skyler Reising was the victor in the long jump (7.37m/24-2.25 - 903 points) which lifted him to the runner-up position going into tomorrow's action with 3,255 points.

Two-time defending USA Indoor Men's Pentathlon champion Jake Arnold ended Saturday's activities in third place with 3,212 points, with Edward Broadbent, who won the 60m this afternoon in 6.97 seconds (893 points) in fourth place.

The men's heptathlon will conclude on Sunday with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m run.

For more information on the 2010 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships, visit www.usatf.org, and for a look at media guides for both championships, visit: www.decathlonusa.typepad.com