UO athlete wins decathlon

By Associated Press Published: Jun 13, 2008 at 11:30 AM PST Last Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 8:37 PM PST
UO athlete wins decathlon
Oregon's Ashton Eaton, left, shakes hands with Tennessee's Jangy Addy after the 1500-meter run portion of the men's decathlon, Thursday, June 12, 2008, at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Eaton won the men's decathlon with 8,055 points, while Addyfinished second with 7,916points. (AP Photo/KevinSanders)

DES MOINES, Ore. (AP) - The University of Oregon's Ashton Eaton won the decathlon at the NCAA Track and Field championships. The sophomore from Bend trailed favorite Jangy Addy going into the last of the 10 events. But Eaton beat the Tennessee competitor by more than 32 seconds in the 1,500-meter race to post the surprise victory.

University of Oregon sophomores Andrew Wheating and Zoe Buckman won their respective semifinal heats in the 800 meters. Wheating edged Jacob Hernandez of Texas in his closest race of the outdoor season. In the women's 800, Buckman bided her time in the pack before breaking with 50 meters remaining to win her heat. Both Buckman and Wheating will be the top seeds in their respective finals.