Koford's Multi-Event Performance Earns NWC Weekly Honor
FOREST GROVE – A career best performance in his first decathlon of the season has earned Pacific's
Aaron Koford (Jr., Wilsonville, Ore.) selection as the Northwest Conference Men's Field Student-Athlete of the Week. The award, as voted upon by the conference's sports information directors, was announced on Tuesday.
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Koford was the top NWC placer in the decathlon at the Boxer Combined Event on Thursday and Friday. His third place total of 5,718 points is a season best, leads the conference and improves what is already the fourth highest point total in school history. The performance also ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division III so far this season.
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"We are really pleased with the results of the Boxer Combined Event," said Pacific Head Track and Field Coach Tim Boyce. "Aaron competed quite well to set a new personal record in the decathlon and is capable of improving many events at the NWC Championships in April to raise that score."
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Koford opened the competition on Thursday by finishing third in four of the day's five events. He opened with a time of 11.63 seconds in the 100 meters, added a mark of 20 feet, 5 inches in the long jump and finished with a mark of 37 feet, 7.25 inches in the shot put. After placing fourth in the high jump at 5 feet, 3.75 inches, he wrapped up the day with a time of 52.56 seconds in the 400 meters.
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Koford excelled in the big point events on the second day to move up from fifth to his eventual spot in third. He opened the day with a time sixth place time of 17.40 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, but turned around to win the discus in a decathlon stadium record of 122 feet, 6 inches. He added a lifetime best of 11 feet, 11.75 inches to place fourth in the pole vault and went 129 feet, 2 inches in the javelin. Koford closed the day with a sixth place finish in the 1,500 meters in 5:19.02.
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The performance last week marks a 440-point improvement over his 2012 season best of 5,278 points, which he set at the NWC Multi-Event Championships.
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Koford was one of three NWC decathlon qualifiers to come out of the meet. Teammate
Ted Wogan (So., Klamath Falls, Ore.) also earned a spot in the conference meet with his fifth place total of 5,437 points.
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The Pacific track and field teams return to action this weekend, competing at the Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open on Friday and Saturday.