Ashley Impresses on Day One of Texas Relays

AUSTIN, Texas – Hayden Ashley, a graduate track and field athlete, returned to Bison Hill after having his senior outdoor season cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ashley had been invited to participate in the 2020 Texas Relays, but was unable to attend due to its cancelation. This year, however, he was invited once more and made the drive to Austin, Texas to run in the men's decathlon along with 13 other athletes across the United States.
 
The decathlon is a mixture of 10 different outdoor track and field events, and the participants receive points after each event to determine the final placement. The decathlon at the Texas Relays is spread out over the course of two days. Ashley currently sits in seventh place with 3473 points, having completed the first five events which included 100 meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, and the 400 meter run.
 
Ashley started the decathlon with the 100 meter run. He finished with a time of 11.68 seconds; a personal best for him, beating his old time by .02 seconds. Next up was the long jump, in which he placed seventh with a 6.85 meter leap. The third event was shot put and Ashley registered a throw of 11.52 meters. Ashley then posted a top five finish, completing the high jump with a height of 1.90 meters.  Finally, to close out the day, he ran the 400 meter with a time of 52.82.
 
With his first day score of 3473, Ashley will go into day two with a chance to receive a provisional mark for the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships (6325). A total of 7252 points would earn him an automatic qualification for the national meet, and if he can score a 7900 or better, he would then be considered for the United States Olympic Trials.
 
The final day of the decathlon of the Texas Relays is on Friday, March 26 with the 110 meter hurdles set to begin at 10 a.m.