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Saturday, May 27, 2000

Second NAIA decathlon
title for Kaneohe’s Clay

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

In a cold rain at Simon Fraser University in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Kaneohe's Bryan Clay won his second NAIA national decathlon title of the year.

But Clay fell short of his goal to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials.

"I'll have one or two more chances to qualify before July," said the 20-year-old former Castle High state champion.

The U.S. track and field trials will be held in Sacramento, Calif., July 14-23.

If he does qualify for the trials, Clay's chances of making the Olympic team this year are minimal. But he is seen by people inside the sport as a project for 2004.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Clay had 3,961 points Thursday and seemed on his way toward the Olympic qualifying score of 7,900 points.

But he wound up with a personal record of 7,373 yesterday as he won the NAIA outdoor title.

Clay won the indoor title in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 26.

"In the 100 meters, the track was soft and we ran into a headwind," said Clay, who won that event.

"In the discus, I had to do a standing throw. My hands kept getting wet and I couldn't keep them dry."

Clay took second in the discus and shot put. His other wins were in the pole vault, the high jump and the 110-meter high hurdles.

"Guys were slipping off the poles," said Clay, who won the Pan American Junior Games gold medal last year