Complete decathlon results (PDF)

ELLENSBURG – Another decathlon, another big comeback for Nate Johnson – not quite good enough for gold, but definitely solid enough for silver.
 
The Seattle Pacific junior, who started the day in seventh place and nearly 300 points out of the lead, surged past five of the competitors in front of him to snare second place in the men's decathlon at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Multi-Event Championships.
 
 
Johnson's runner-up total on Tuesday was 101 points better than last season's winning mark.
 
“It was interesting two days. It didn't really come together like I wanted it go, so 6,474 is encouraging for now,” Johnson said. “Overall, I feel OK about it. It could have been better, but it is what it is.”
 
After struggling in two events on Monday (sixth in the long jump, usually one of his strong suits, and a tie for 10^th in the shot put), Johnson was back to his usual consistent form on Tuesday. After a starting the day with a fifth-place run in the 110-meter hurdles, he finished third in the last four events of the day: the discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters.
 
Johnson's pole vault mark of 14 feet, 5 ¼ inches was a personal best by two inches, bettering his previous high of 14-3 ¼ set in last year's GNAC multis.
 
Ironically, he was on the brink of a no-height, having missed his first two attempts at 12-6. But after clearing it on his final try, Johnson, Brandon Roddewig of Central Washington and Greyson Kilgore of Northwest Nazarene just kept going ever higher, usually getting over succeeding heights on their first attempts. Roddewig wound up winning at 15-1; Kilgore was second at 14-9.
 
“I was in the back praying for myself back there,” Johnson said of his mindset moments before his final attempt at the opening height. “I did what I had to do and felt really good about that jump – my heart was beating really fast after that. It was fun vaulting with those guys, who are both good vaulters.”
 
That performance moved Johnson up to fourth place after eight of the 10 events, just 87 points behind Harrison heading into the javelin. But Harrison, one of the best jav throwers in the GNAC, effectively clinched the crown by flinging it 200 feet, 3 inches, while Johnson had a mark of 162-9.
 
Johnson likely will have a handful of events on his docket when the GNAC Championships proper take place May 11-12 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. He currently is an NCAA provisional qualifier in the javelin with his career-high 6,537 points scored at the Sam Adams Multi-Events on April 2-3 in Santa Barbara, Calif. That currently is 15^th on the national list, leaving him on the bubble for a trip to Pueblo, Colo., for the nationals on May 24-26.
 
“I know they have some equation where they figure out how many they let into each event,” Johnson said of his chances at getting to nationals. “Last year, 64-low (6,400-plus points) made it in. Maybe this year, 6,530 is good enough to get in. We'll have to wait and see.”
 
 
NCAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
GNAC Multi-Event Championships
Monday, April 30, 2012
Tomlinson Stadium / Ellensburg, Wash.
                                   
Final standings – 1, Alex Harrison (WWU) 6,598#; 2, Nate Johnson (SPU) 6,474#; 3, Jason Caryl (CWU) 6,412; 4, Brandon Roddewig (CWU) 6,118; 5, Manny Melo (CWU) 6,098; 6, Greyson Kilgore (NNU) 6,075; 7, Andrew Venema (CWU) 5,701; 8, (tie) Jake Hyde (WOU) and Colin Alexander (CWU) 5,679; 10, Michael Stralser (WWU) 5,664; 11, Eric Gaines (WOU) 5,610; 12, Michael Holland (StM) 5,437; 13, Steven Dunn (StM) 5,273; 14, Tim Greene (NNU) 4,835; 15, Dylan Gordon (WWU) 4,493; 16, Mark Wade (NNU) 4,230.
 
Day 1
100 – 1, Caryl (CWU) 11.18 (821 points). SPU placer – 3, Johnson 11.45 (763);
Long jump – 1, Melo (CWU) 23-3 ¼ / 7.09m (835 points). SPU placer – 6, Johnson 20-5 ¾ / 6.24m* (639).
Shot put – 1, Harrison (WWU) 44-0 ½ / 13.42m (693 points). SPU placer – T10, Johnson 33-1 ¼ / 10.09m (491).
High jump – 1, Roddewig 6-4 / 1.93m (740 points). SPU placer – T5, Johnson 5-10 / 1.78m (610).
400 – 1, Alexander (CWU) 50.50 (792 points). SPU placer – T5, Johnson 53.32 (668).
 
Day 2
110 hurdles—1, Venema (CWU) 15.42 (799 points). SPU placer – 5, Johnson 15.93* (741).
Discus – 1, Kilgore (NNU) 133-6 / 40.70m (679 points). SPU placer – 3,  Johnson 123-1 / 37.53m (615).
Pole vault – 1, Roddewig (CWU) 15-1 / 4.60m (790 points). SPU placer – 3, Johnson 14-5¼ / 4.40m! (731).
Javelin – 1, Harrison (WWU) 200-3 / 61.04m (753 points). SPU placer – 3, Johnson 162-9 / 49.60m (583).
1500 – 1, Alexander (CWU) 4:34.41 (716 points). SPU placer – 3, Johnson 4:47.64 (633).
 

# NCAA provisional qualifying
! GNAC automatic qualifying
* GNAC provisional qualifying