Track

Cooper takes first in OCIAA Decathlon

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WARWICK, NY ? At various points in his eventful track and field career, Sullivan West’s Donald Cooper has been crowned a champion in the high jump, the pole vault and running events, including the 400 and 4x100 relays.

Cooper reached a new benchmark in his career by winning the OCIAA Decathlon on May 14 and 15. Cooper piled up an impressive 5,256 points. The Decathlon is a series of 10 events held over a two-day period. Times or distances and place finished are in parentheses.

The first day included a 100-meter run (11.4, first), the long jump (18-6, second), shot put (30-0, second), high jump (6-4, first) and the 400-meter run (50.6, first). That was followed on the second day by the 110 hurdles (17.7, second), the discus (100, tied for first), pole vault (11-0, third), javelin (83, seventh) and the 1500-meter run (5:03, fifth).

Cooper finished ahead of Tri-Valley’s Max Fiedler (4,814) and Kevin Lees (Goshen) 4,789, Ben Brunjes (Warwick) 4,636 and Gary North (Tri-Valley) 4,419, who took second through fifth places respectively.