Junior Alex Willgoos sits sixth after the first five events of the decathlon on day one of the New England Championships at W.B. Mason Stadium.

New England Outdoor Track & Field Championships get underway at Stonehill's W.B. Mason Stadium with five decathlon events

EASTON, Mass. (May 9, 2013) – Stonehill College junior Alex Willgoos (Newington, Conn./Newington) sits in sixth place after five events in the decathlon as the 2013 New England Outdoor Track & Field Championships got underway at W.B. Mason Stadium on the Stonehill campus this afternoon.

Willgoos compiled 3,054 points as he finished third in the long jump and had a pair of fourth place efforts in the 100-meter dash and high jump. Michael Blair from Tufts University holds the lead after five events with 3,463 points, with Justin Escaravage from Southern Connecticut State University second with 3,256. Day two of the decathlon will include the 110-meter high hurdles (10 a.m.), discus throw (10:45 a.m.), pole vault (noon), javelin throw (2:30 p.m.) and then the 1500-meter run (4 p.m.) tomorrow.

Willgoos opened the afternoon with a fourth place finish in the 100-meter dash in 11.67-seconds to earn his highest point total of the day with 717 points. Dylan Lucas, who sits in fifth place after day one (3,069 points), won the event in 11.44-seconds (765). The ten decathlon participants moved over to the long jump pit for the second event and Willgoos placed third with a distance of 19-feet, 6.75-inches for 578 points. Blair topped the event with a leap of 20-10.00 for 664 points.

Willgoos followed with an eighth place finish in the shot put with a distance of 31-feet, 10.75-inches for 469 points. Colby College's Caleb Harris, who finished the day in seventh place (2,659), finished first for the event with a throw of 40-08.25. The high jump was the final field event of the day for the decathletes and was moved inside when thundershowers passed through the area. Willgoos cleared 5-feet, 10-inches to place fourth in the event and earn 610 points, with Blair taking first place with a leap of 6-07.50 (822), marking the highest single event point total of the afternoon.

The student-athletes moved back out onto the track for the 400-meter dash – the final event of the afternoon. Willgoos posted a seventh place finish in 53.03-seconds to cap the afternoon with 680 points. Lucas won the event with a time of 51.05-seconds for 767 points.

Stonehill is serving as host of the New England Championships for the first time and the event continues on Friday and Saturday. Friday's events include day two of the decathlon with the heptathlon getting underway with four events. A combined ten men's and women's finals and several preliminary rounds will make up the day two schedule, getting underway at 10 a.m., with the final event of the day, the men's 10,000-meter final starting at 6:30 p.m.

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