EUGENE, Ore. (June 6, 2024) – Washington State senior decathlete Lee Walburn captured First-Team All-America honors with a seventh-place finish while Maribel Caicedo and Micaela De Mello each advanced to Saturday's final in the 100m hurdles to highlight the second day of competition Thursday for the Cougars at the 2024 NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
Walburn, a senior from Whitefish, Mont., posted a career-best mark of 7,816 points, blowing past his previous high mark of 7,694. Thursday began for Walburn much like Wednesday ended, with a personal-best, this time in the 110m hurdles, finishing in 14.89 seconds to win his heat. Strong showings in the discus, 45.54m, 149' 5" to finish fourth overall and a season-best mark of 4.71m, 15' 5½" in the pole vault (8th in the event), continued to push Walburn up from his 11th place spot to start the day.
Another solid effort came in the javelin, with a best throw of 56.62m, 185' 9", fifth in the event and good enough to push Walburn into seventh in the overall standings with one event remaining, the 1500m. There, the senior ran a season-best time of 4:38.42 to finish ninth in the event and solidify his seventh-place finish in his final collegiate event. His 7,816 point total eclipsed his previous high by 122 points and marked the second-best mark in program history. After taking two NAIA decathlon titles at Carrol College before transferring to WSU, Walburn becomes WSU's first decathlete All-American since Rickey Moody's first-team honors in 2008 after finishing eighth overall.
Walburn wasn't the only Cougar to shine Thursday. The 100m hurdle duo of Caicedo and De Mello cruised into Saturday's final as Caicedo set the tone by winning the first heat while De Mello secured the automatic advancement by finishing second in her heat, in a personal-best time. Caicedo, a graduate student from Guayaquil, Ecuador, eased up crossing the line in a heat-winning time of 12.53 seconds to easily advance. In the second heat, De Mello, running in Lane 7, ran a personal-best time of 12.71 seconds, finishing second in the heat to move on to Saturday's final. It came with a +3.4 wind so it won't qualify for school records but does eclipse her previous mark of 12.82, set two weeks ago in Fayetteville at the NCAA First Round.
Also competing Thursday for WSU was shot putter Nana Gyedu. The junior from London, England and school record holder, had her best heave of the night on her first throw, reaching 16.36m, 53' 8¼". That mark was good for 18th overall in her first NCAA Final appearance, as she earned All-America honorable mention honors.
UP NEXT:
No competition for WSU Friday. WSU's Caicedo and De Mello will compete Saturday in the 100m hurdles final at 3:12 p.m. PT on ESPN.
2024 NCAA Track and Field Championships
June 5-8, 2024
Hayward Field
Eugene, Ore.
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Decathlon Second Day Results
Lee Walburn – 7th overall – First-Team All-America honors
110m Hurdles– 14.89 PB (1st in heat, 13th overall)
Discus – 45.54m / 149' 5" (1st in flight, 4th overall)
Pole Vault – 4.71m / 15' 5½" SB (3rd in flight, 8th overall)
Javelin – 56.62m / 185' 9" (3rd in flight, 5th overall)
1500m – 4:38.42 SB (9th overall)
100m Hurdles
Mirabel Caicedo – 12.53 (1st in heat, 2nd overall) – Advances to Saturday's Final
Micaela De Mello – 12.71 PB (2nd in heat, 4th overall) – Advances to Saturday's Final
Shot Put
Nana Gyedu - 16.36m, 53' 8 ¼" (8th in flight, 18th overall) – All-America Honor Mention honors
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Decathlon First Day Results
Lee Walburn – 11th overall after 5 events
100m – 10.85 PB (1st in heat, 10th overall)
Long Jump – 6.50m / 21' 4" (11th in flight, 22nd overall)
Shot Put – 15.00m / 49' 1½" PB (4th in flight, 4th overall)
High Jump – 1.89m / 6' 2¼" (9th in flight 13th overall)
400m – 48.40 PB (1st in heat, 11th overall)
Walburn, a senior from Whitefish, Mont., posted a career-best mark of 7,816 points, blowing past his previous high mark of 7,694. Thursday began for Walburn much like Wednesday ended, with a personal-best, this time in the 110m hurdles, finishing in 14.89 seconds to win his heat. Strong showings in the discus, 45.54m, 149' 5" to finish fourth overall and a season-best mark of 4.71m, 15' 5½" in the pole vault (8th in the event), continued to push Walburn up from his 11th place spot to start the day.
Another solid effort came in the javelin, with a best throw of 56.62m, 185' 9", fifth in the event and good enough to push Walburn into seventh in the overall standings with one event remaining, the 1500m. There, the senior ran a season-best time of 4:38.42 to finish ninth in the event and solidify his seventh-place finish in his final collegiate event. His 7,816 point total eclipsed his previous high by 122 points and marked the second-best mark in program history. After taking two NAIA decathlon titles at Carrol College before transferring to WSU, Walburn becomes WSU's first decathlete All-American since Rickey Moody's first-team honors in 2008 after finishing eighth overall.
Walburn wasn't the only Cougar to shine Thursday. The 100m hurdle duo of Caicedo and De Mello cruised into Saturday's final as Caicedo set the tone by winning the first heat while De Mello secured the automatic advancement by finishing second in her heat, in a personal-best time. Caicedo, a graduate student from Guayaquil, Ecuador, eased up crossing the line in a heat-winning time of 12.53 seconds to easily advance. In the second heat, De Mello, running in Lane 7, ran a personal-best time of 12.71 seconds, finishing second in the heat to move on to Saturday's final. It came with a +3.4 wind so it won't qualify for school records but does eclipse her previous mark of 12.82, set two weeks ago in Fayetteville at the NCAA First Round.
Also competing Thursday for WSU was shot putter Nana Gyedu. The junior from London, England and school record holder, had her best heave of the night on her first throw, reaching 16.36m, 53' 8¼". That mark was good for 18th overall in her first NCAA Final appearance, as she earned All-America honorable mention honors.
UP NEXT:
No competition for WSU Friday. WSU's Caicedo and De Mello will compete Saturday in the 100m hurdles final at 3:12 p.m. PT on ESPN.
2024 NCAA Track and Field Championships
June 5-8, 2024
Hayward Field
Eugene, Ore.
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Decathlon Second Day Results
Lee Walburn – 7th overall – First-Team All-America honors
110m Hurdles– 14.89 PB (1st in heat, 13th overall)
Discus – 45.54m / 149' 5" (1st in flight, 4th overall)
Pole Vault – 4.71m / 15' 5½" SB (3rd in flight, 8th overall)
Javelin – 56.62m / 185' 9" (3rd in flight, 5th overall)
1500m – 4:38.42 SB (9th overall)
100m Hurdles
Mirabel Caicedo – 12.53 (1st in heat, 2nd overall) – Advances to Saturday's Final
Micaela De Mello – 12.71 PB (2nd in heat, 4th overall) – Advances to Saturday's Final
Shot Put
Nana Gyedu - 16.36m, 53' 8 ¼" (8th in flight, 18th overall) – All-America Honor Mention honors
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Decathlon First Day Results
Lee Walburn – 11th overall after 5 events
100m – 10.85 PB (1st in heat, 10th overall)
Long Jump – 6.50m / 21' 4" (11th in flight, 22nd overall)
Shot Put – 15.00m / 49' 1½" PB (4th in flight, 4th overall)
High Jump – 1.89m / 6' 2¼" (9th in flight 13th overall)
400m – 48.40 PB (1st in heat, 11th overall)