CABOT -- Cabot senior Mark Odom may be in the lead after day one of the 52nd annual state high school decathlon, but he's not feeling too content yet.
Odom earned a victory in Wednesday's first event, the 100-meter run, and earned a third-place finish in the shot put at Cabot High School to put himself in front after five decathlon events.
The Panthers star has 3,343 points while Crossett senior Trevean Caldwell is second with 3,308 points. Genoa Central senior Hayden Hampton is third with 3,299 points.
"We're real pleased," Cabot Coach Leon White said. "We knew that based on what he's done all year that he has a chance to do well here."
Rounding out the top ten after day one are Lake Village senior Christopher Johnson (3,295 points), Rogers Heritage senior Brandon Shaw (3,256), Beebe senior Connor Patrom (3,231), Rogers senior Tony Roller (3,230), Gosnell junior Marquel McKinney (3,226), Pine Bluff senior Lawrence Nelson (3,217) and Batesville junior Kylan Robinson (3,196).
"I'm exhausted," Odom said. "I did good in the 100, a little above average in the long jump, high jump and shot put. The 400, I didn't really get anything out of that. Hopefully tomorrow, in some of my better events, I'll get some more points."
Odom's specialty, the hurdles, is one of five events remaining. The 110 hurdles, in which Odom placed second May 5 at the Class 7A state track and field meet in Conway, is the first event today, beginning at 10 a.m. Other events today include the discus, the pole vault, the triple jump and the 1,500.
"We hope can score a lot of points in the high hurdles," White said. "He's a pretty good discus thrower, too. We'll have to see how it goes."
Odom clocked in at 11.26 to win the 100 meters, earning 804 points. Shaw was second with a time of 11.38 and Caldwell was third at 11.40.
Caldwell won the 400 with a time of 50.27, earning 802 points. Cabot's Britton Alley came in at 50.54 for second while Springdale Har-Ber's Matthew Wentz was third (50.84).
Johnson took first place in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 2 1/4 inches. He earned 757 points. Nelson (21-41/4) and Wentz (21 feet) were second and third, respectively.
Hampton won the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, 93/4 inches, earning 689 points. Caddo Hills' Christian Duggan was second with a throw of 42 feet, 1/2 inches followed by Odom (41-101/2).
Roller and McKinney each cleared 6 feet, 4 3/4 inches to tie for the long jump title. Both athletes earned 758 points. Bald Knob's Dylan Western was third (6-23/4).
A 22nd-place finish in the 400 was still on Odom's mind Wednesday, but he was confident he will perform well today.
"You can't be willing to give up easy, because after a 400 like that, it makes you not want to come back the next day," Odom said. "I'll come out tomorrow and try my hardest to come out on top."
Sports on 05/19/2016