Hines Wins Big 12 Decathlon

LINCOLN, Neb.- Neil Hines made history for Iowa State on Saturday, winning the decathlon at the Big 12 Championships, becoming just the second 10-event conference champion in school history before friends and family on the Ed Weir Track. The Cyclone team captain ended up with a career-best 7,508 points overall to beat the runner-up, Nebraska's Lee Martin, by 186 points. Hines' victory added ten points to Iowa State's total in the team competition.

Iowa State's 16 team points is good for a tie for sixth with Texas Tech after the meet's second day. Kansas is sitting in the lead with 37 points.

Hines came into the day in second place in the decathlon and took over the lead after 139-foot toss in the discus throw. The senior then quickly shut the door by posting a career best in the pole vault (15-7), throwing the javelin 183-4 and closing with a 4:41.19 effort in the 1,500 meter run.

“It feels great," Hines said. "This is a goal I had when I first started, not even knowing what it would take. To reach that goal is just unbelievable.”

Iowa State's only previous conference decathlon champion was Ron Blums, who won the Big Eight title in 1993.

“I'm ecstatic for Neil and excited for him at the NCAA meet,” Iowa State head men's track and field coach Steve Lynn said. “If you score 7,500 at nationals you're doing really well and if you score 7,600 you're in the hunt for a top-three finish.”

Iowa State jumps/vault coach Ron McEachran reiterated the excitement of the victory and Hines' prospects for the NCAA Championships on June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif.

“I'm really happy for him, I'm happy he got to experience this and I'm happy I got to experience it with him,” McEachran said. “We've still got three and a half weeks until the NCAA [Championships] and you have to think that we have the potential to score there.”

The win was the first individual Big 12 championship for the Cyclones since Oliver Koenig won the long jump in 2005. Hines will not have to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional, May 25-26 in Des Moines because decathletes advance directly to the NCAA Championship based on their point totals.

“I can't say enough about Neil,” Lynn said. “He's a great kid, great student and a great athlete. Four years ago he wasn't a great athlete, he was a decent athlete and he's worked really hard. It's very rewarding to see all that hard work pay off.”

The ISU team captain won the event in his last conference meet. The victory was even more special because it came in his home state of Nebraska in front of friends and family. Hines is from Morse Bluff, Neb.

“I'm a Cyclone now, it has become my home over the past five years,” Hines said. “But, to come back here with all my relatives, it just makes it that much more fun.”

Iowa State's Jared Lewis regionally qualified in the 100-meters. The Northern Colorado transfer ran a personal best 10.42, well under the regional qualifying mark of 10.50. Lewis also sprinted to a 20.90 clocking in the 200-meter dash but did not advance to the final in either event.

The field was loaded again for the 400-meter dash as ISU's Jared Graham raced to a regional qualifying time of 47.18 but did not advance to the final. Along with Lewis and Graham in the 100- and 400-meter dashes, respectively, ISU is also regionally qualified in the 4x400-meter relay, the 3,000-meter steeplechase with Jayden Russ and the 200-meter dash with Lewis and Elijah Braimah.

“Today we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Lynn said. “We just have to come back tomorrow and do the best we can. We have a lot of guys who can do very well tomorrow.”

Events for the final day of competition on Sunday kick off at noon with the javelin and are scheduled to wrap up at 5:35 p.m. with the 4x400-meter relay.

Team Scoring

1. Kansas, 37; 2. Texas, 28; 3. Nebraska, 27; 4. Missouri, 25; 5. Oklahoma, 18 points; 6. Iowa State, 16; Texas Tech 16; 8. Colorado, 9; Kansas State 9; 10. Texas A&M, 6 points; 11. Oklahoma State, 4; 12. Baylor 0

Cyclone Results

Decathlon- 1. Neil Hines, Iowa State, 7,508; 2. Lee Martin, Nebraska, 7,322

110-meter hurdles (decathlon)- 1. Andrew Webb, Texas, 14.64, 6, Neil Hines, Iowa State, 15.63

Pole vault (decathlon)- t1. Neil Hines, Iowa State, 15-07

Discus throw (decathlon)- 1. Lee Martin, Nebraska, 44.26, 2. Neil Hines, Iowa State, 42.38

Javelin throw (decathlon)- 1. Mitch Henry, Oklahoma, 56.42, 3, Neil Hines, Iowa State, 183-04

1,500-meter run (decathlon)- 1. Lee Martin, Nebraska, 4:30.47, 3. Neil Hines, Iowa State 4:41.19

Players Mentioned

Elijah Braimah

Jared Graham

Neil Hines

Jayden Russ

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics