Goggins Leads Decathlon After Day One At USATF Region III Junior Olympics
7/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
July 10, 2008
ROCK HILL, S.C. - USC Upstate track and field standout Perrish Goggins (Columbia, S.C./C.A. Johnson Prep) has put himself in great position to advance to the USATF Junior Olympics National Meet, as he is currently in first place in the young male decathlon at the Region III Junior Olympics after Thursday's events at South Pointe High School.
"I did pretty good, but not as well as I planned," Goggins said. "My mindframe was to come out the first day and get as many points as I could and get as big a lead as I could. Going into day two, I just want to get it done."
If he finishes in the top three of the decathlon, he will qualify for the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships July 22-27 at Burke Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
Goggins holds a 69-point lead after the first five events of the decathlon, as he accumulated 3,261 points during the first day of the meet and needs just 2,087 in his final five events to set a new personal-best after he posted 5,348 during the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships in May.
"He started off really strong," Stephens said. "His 100 was really good. I was a little disappointed in the shot, but it still wasn't bad. He had a good day in the long jump. He had a great high jump, which is probably his best event. His 400 was a letdown, but his turf toe and tendonitis in his left knee kind of hampered him a little bit."
The 5-7 Columbia native finished first in the 100-meter-dash among the decathletes to start the day, as he finished in 11.23 seconds. He continued to roll, besting the rest of the field in the long jump by more than a two feet with a leap of 21-11.50. He finished third in the shot put with a heave of 34-8.25, but fell behind Kenneth Rowland of the Jacksonville Express Track Club by two points after the event.
"He's really going to have to perform tomorrow," Upstate track and field head coach Jimmy Stephens said. "I'm a little concerned about the injury, but he is a tough kid. He has to do well in the hurdle. The X-factor is going to be the pole vault. He's really been working hard with a coach in Columbia and he has to do well in it to have a chance to win."
However, Goggins quickly wrestled back his lead in the event with a leap of 6-08 in the high jump, winning the event by eight inches. He wrapped up the day by finishing the 400-meter-dash in 1:01.63.
Jerry Blanton of Palmetto Track & Field is in second place with 3,192 points and Rowland follows with 3,141. Jermol Dix of the Woodlawn Track Pack is fourth with 3,051 points and John Morris of Team VA is fifth with 2,836 points.
Goggins and the rest of the pack will wrap up the decathlon on Friday with the first event in the young men's division kicking off at 9 a.m. The decathletes will perform in the 110-meter-hurdles to start the day before also competing in the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and the 1,500-meter-run.
"I'm hoping to get more points in the pole vault and I hope to at least clear 11 ½ feet, which would be a new personal record for me," Goggins said.
Goggins will also compete in the high jump at the Region III meet on Saturday at 3 p.m.
