U.S. Air Force Academy senior Calvin Berstler won the Mountain West Conference decathlon championship at the conference tournament in Clovis, Calif. In the process, the 2013 Cheney High School graduate helped lead the Falcons to their third-straight conference mens’ outdoor track and field title, its fifth in seven years.
According to an academy news release, Berstler’s win was one of four conference titles for the Falcons during the championships, May 10–12. He became the program’s first decathlon champion in nine years by scoring 7,203 points, the fourth-highest in academy history — winning the 10-event competition by 200 points over New Mexico University’s Daniel Lam.
Berstler finished the event with a career-best, first-place time of 4 minutes, 31.22 seconds in the 1,500-meter run. He was second in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.28, and third in the discus with a personal-best throw of 131 feet, 1 inch, pole vault at 14-03 1/4 and javelin 157-11.
Berstler wasn’t the only former Blackhawk competing at the meet. His fellow CHS classmate Sanne Holland finished fifth in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase for Colorado State University, turning in a time of 10:23.74.
Holland also placed 18th in the 5,000-meter run as the Rams’ women placed third overall.
Both Berstler and Holland have qualified for the NCAA Division 1 West Regional track and field championships. The first and quarterfinal rounds for the steeplechase are May 24–26 in Sacramento, Calif., with the semifinals, finals and decathlon taking place June 6–9 in Eugene, Ore.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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