FULLERTON, Calif. — Andrew Aguilar set a school record of 7470 points to win his second consecutive Big West men's decathlon championship.
"It still feels unreal," Aguilar said. "Last year I was the first decathlon champion from Cal State Fullerton, and this year I'm the first one from here to defend that title. I've just had a great sense of pride because of that over these last two days."
Back➡️back Big West Men's Decathlon CHAMPION ��#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/BZHU1CB4TP
— Titans Track & Field (@FullertonTFXC) May 7, 2023
Aguilar started day two 149 points behind UC Santa Barbara's Brad Thomas, but seized control of first place following the 110m hurdles and discus events. In the 110m hurdles, Aguilar finished second with a time of 14.85. He took the second spot again in the discus, throwing for a mark of 39.73m.
The senior from Chino Hills tightened his grasp on the top spot in the standings following the pole vault, where he set a personal-best mark of 4.81m to win the event. Aguilar then saw his lead slip in the javelin, despite throwing for a personal-best 47.71m. He finished fifth in the javelin, with Thomas winning and trimming Aguilar's lead to 42 points heading into the final event.
Aguilar held the fastest personal-best of all Big West decathlon competitors heading into the final event, the 1500m. He got out to a quick start, leading comfortably through the first three laps. Thomas narrowed the gap heading into the final 100m, but Aguilar held on to win with a time of 4:29.25, just over two seconds quicker than Thomas.
The final standings saw Aguilar in first place with a total of 7470 points, besting his previous high and school record of 7239 set earlier this season. Thomas finished second with 7414 points, while Matthew Molina of UCSB finished third with 7053.
The Titans prepare next for the remainder of The Big West Championships, which will take place next weekend, May 12-13, at home.
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