Decathlon Newcomer David Pettit Wows 'Em at MIAC Championships! 
NORTHFIELD-- Let the other competitors in the MIAC decathlon know that invisible man that snuck up on all the athletes in the first day of competition wears maroon and gold and goes by the name David Pettit.

Pettit, competing in his first full-fledge decathlon in his life, put up season-best marks in three of the first five events and currently stands in third place after day one of the championship competition. He has 3,005 points after the first five events, which is 445 points behind day-one leader Evan Sundquist of St. Olaf. Pettit is only eight points ahead of fourth-place competitor Jered Hokenson of Gustavus. 

Concordia freshman Rocky Jantzen finished the first day of competition in 11th place with 2,465 points.

The first day of the event started uneventful for Pettit as he ran a 11.98 in the 100 meters. That time was slightly slower than the 11.41 he ran at NDSU earlier in the year. The second event continued the trend of solid, but not spectacular performances for Pettit. Having jumped 20-1.75 in the long jump at NDSU, he put up a mark of 19-0.50 in the long jump in the 2005 conference decathlon. 

His solid performances suddenly gave way to "you've got to be kidding me" feats. In the third event, the shot put, he posted a distance of 28-1.75. Not spectacular in itself, but considering it was almost three feet farther than he has ever thrown it in his life, it becomes a little more special. Next came the high jump, one of Pettit's better events in the competition. Entering the meet, his season-best was 6-0.00. On Thursday, he cleared 6-2.75 to finish second among all competitors.

He saved his best jaw-dropping performance for last. In the 400 meters, an event that he is not on record as having ever run in his life, he bolted to a52.79. That time was amazingly the second-best in the competition.

Only time will tell if Pettit can continue his remarkable ascent among the top athletes in the conference. The final five events should be a test of perseverance for the Cobber sophomore. The day will start out in familiar territory with the 110-meter hurdles but then take a turn on the dark side as the final four events are not among Pettit's list of experienced events.

The second event on day two is the discus, followed by the pole vault, then the javelin and finally the 1500 meters. Pettit has thrown the discus only one other time in a competitive meet, he has only cleared a paltry 9-0 in the pole vault, has never put up a distance in the javelin and has no record of ever having run in the 1500 meters.

If Pettit can finish in the top five of the competition at the end of the second day, it will be one of the greatest feats of the year by any Cobber athlete.

All five events on day two will be held at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. The first event of the day gets under way at 10:00am.
 

Day 1
    1 Evan Sundquist, Saint Olaf           3450 total points
      1 100 Meter Dash                          11.20          817 points
      1 Long Jump                                20-9  (6.32m) 657 points
      1 Shot Put                            38-11 3/4 (11.88m) 599 points
      4 High Jump                             6-0 1/2  (1.84m) 661 points
      1 400 Meter Dash                          52.19          716 points
    2 Matt Mogenson, Saint John's          3229 total points
      2 100 Meter Dash                          11.68          715 points
      1 Long Jump                                20-9  (6.32m) 657 points
      5 Shot Put                             32-8 1/2  (9.97m) 484 points
      2 High Jump                             6-2 3/4  (1.90m) 714 points
      3 400 Meter Dash                          53.53          659 points
    3 Dave Pettit, Concordia               3005 total points
      6 100 Meter Dash                          11.98          655 points
      4 Long Jump                            19-0 1/2  (5.80m) 544 points
     10 Shot Put                             28-1 3/4  (8.58m) 401 points
      2 High Jump                             6-2 3/4  (1.90m) 714 points
      1 400 Meter Dash                          52.79          691 points
    4 Jared Hokenson, Gustavus             2997 total points
      5 100 Meter Dash                          11.92          667 points
      7 Long Jump                            18-3 3/4  (5.58m) 498 points
      8 Shot Put                             29-7 1/2  (9.03m) 428 points
      1 High Jump                                 6-4  (1.93m) 740 points
      2 400 Meter Dash                          53.41          664 points
    5 Ryan Davis, Bethel                   2980 total points
      2 100 Meter Dash                          11.82          687 points
      3 Long Jump                            19-1 1/4  (5.82m) 548 points
      3 Shot Put                                 34-3 (10.44m) 512 points
      5 High Jump                             5-8 3/4  (1.75m) 585 points
      4 400 Meter Dash                          53.79          648 points
    6 Jeff Doll, Saint John's              2939 total points
      3 100 Meter Dash                          11.86          679 points
      5 Long Jump                            18-5 3/4  (5.63m) 508 points
      4 Shot Put                            32-10 1/4 (10.01m) 486 points
      5 High Jump                             5-8 3/4  (1.75m) 585 points
      2 400 Meter Dash                          53.02          681 points
    7 Jason Weaver, Carleton               2751 total points
      7 100 Meter Dash                          12.02          647 points
      6 Long Jump                            18-4 1/4  (5.59m) 500 points
      6 Shot Put                                 31-3  (9.52m) 457 points
      7 High Jump                             5-6 1/2  (1.69m) 536 points
      5 400 Meter Dash                          54.70          611 points
    8 Phil Brondyke, Hamline               2630 total points
      5 100 Meter Dash                          12.24          605 points
     10 Long Jump                            17-6 1/4  (5.34m) 449 points
      2 Shot Put                                 36-2 (11.02m) 547 points
      8 High Jump                                 5-3  (1.60m) 464 points
      5 400 Meter Dash                          55.84          565 points
    9 Robbie Deming, Saint Thomas          2574 total points
      4 100 Meter Dash                          11.87          677 points
     13 Long Jump                            16-8 3/4  (5.10m) 402 points
      9 Shot Put                             29-2 1/2  (8.90m) 420 points
      8 High Jump                                 5-3  (1.60m) 464 points
      4 400 Meter Dash                          54.69          611 points
   10 Jon Pace, Saint Mary's               2570 total points
      4 100 Meter Dash                          11.91          669 points
      8 Long Jump                                18-3  (5.56m) 494 points
      7 Shot Put                                 30-7  (9.32m) 445 points
      8 High Jump                                 5-3  (1.60m) 464 points
      7 400 Meter Dash                          57.61          498 points
   11 Rocky Jantzen, Concordia             2465 total points
      6 100 Meter Dash                          12.35          584 points
      9 Long Jump                           17-11 1/2  (5.47m) 475 points
     13 Shot Put                                 22-5  (6.83m) 297 points
     11 High Jump                             5-1 3/4  (1.57m) 441 points
      3 400 Meter Dash                          53.31          668 points
   12 Tyler Ecklund, Macalester            2374 total points
      3 100 Meter Dash                          11.91          669 points
     12 Long Jump                                17-0  (5.18m) 417 points
     12 Shot Put                                 23-4  (7.11m) 314 points
     11 High Jump                             5-1 3/4  (1.57m) 441 points
      6 400 Meter Dash                          56.67          533 points
   13 Erik Barner, Saint Thomas            2275 total points
      7 100 Meter Dash                          12.49          558 points
     11 Long Jump                            17-3 1/4  (5.26m) 433 points
     11 Shot Put                            25-10 3/4  (7.89m) 360 points
     13 High Jump                            4-11 1/2  (1.51m) 396 points
      6 400 Meter Dash                          56.80          528 points
   14 Rob Friendt, Saint Mary's             827 total points
      1 100 Meter Dash                          11.15          827 points
        Long Jump                                  ND 
      0 Shot Put                                  0-0