Considering they’re relative newcomers to the decathlon and heptathlon, Jeff Decator and Michelle Elliott, respectively, have done well for themselves.
The two recently graduated Goodrich High School students will be competing in the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships July 26-31 at Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium in Indianapolis.
They both took first place in their respective events at the USA Track & Field regional meet July 7-8 at Eastern Kentucky University, with Decator tallying 5,856 points and Elliott 3,621 points.
Decator and Elliott’s coach, Kirk Richards (who assisted the Goodrich varsity track team this spring), said the mentality in competing in a decathlon or heptathlon is different from competing in an event at a track meet.
He said each event at a decathlon or heptathlon is scored on a 0-1,000 point scale. ‘It’s not about winning the event, it’s about getting the best possible point total,? he said.
The decathlon is comprised of 10 events, spread out between two days, with five events taking place each day. The first day’s events are the 100 meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400 meter run, while the second day’s events are the 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 meter run.
Meanwhile, the heptathlon is made up of seven events, divided into four events the first day (100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200 meter run) and three events the second day (long jump, javelin, and 800 meters).
Before taking part in the Eastern Kentucky event, Decator and Elliott competed in their first event June 28-29 at the University of Tennessee. Decator earned 5,566 points, while Elliott compiled 3,408.
Richards said Decator and Elliott put in a lot of hours to train for their craft. ‘They’re all improving every day because we practice about four to five hours each day.?
He also said Decator is ‘learning to do everything quite well,? citing his improvement in the high jump and vault, while Elliott, in addition to her natural hurdling abilities, has shown progress in the long jump and javelin.
Decator said training for the decathlon is more fun than training for a track meet because ‘you don’t get bored training for the same event.?
He also said his target for the Junior Olympics is 7,500 points, while would be about 1,650 points more than his previous high.
Although Decator is tentatively scheduled to attend Saginaw Valley State University in the fall, Richards said if Decator does well at the Junior Olympics, big-name schools with solid track programs such as Tennessee, Missouri, and Wisconsin ‘will come calling on his door.?
Speaking of big-name universities, Elliott has not-so-fond memories of her first heptathlon at the University of Tennessee.
‘I fell in my hurdle race, which was my best event,? she said. ‘It really threw me off.?
Nonetheless, Elliott managed a fifth place finish in that race before improving at the Eastern Kentucky regional meet
Unlike Decator, Elliott has no specific point total in mind as far as her goals for the Junior Olympics. ‘It would be nice to do the best I can in every event,? she said. ‘I haven’t had a day where I was decent in everything.?
Elliott said one of the advantages of taking part in the heptathlon is competitors don’t have to put all their eggs in one basket.
‘If you have a bad day in one event (i.e. the javelin), you can bounce back in another (i.e. the long jump),? she said.
Elliott has accepted a women’s track scholarship to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant for the 2005-06 season. She will focus on hurdles and the high jump while with the Chippewas.
Regardless of how they finish at the Junior Olympics, Richards said both Decator and Elliott have shown a lot of dedication and should be commended for their efforts.
‘I’m really proud of these kids,? he said. ‘This is quite an endeavor. They’ve got a lot of character to even try it.?