United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Men's Outdoor Track - Blum Wins Record Third Decathlon Championship

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(5/2/08)--Senior Steve Blum became the first athlete to win three consecutive New England Division III Decathlon championships as he won three of the five events in day two after winning two events during the first day of the New England Division III Track and Field Championships hosted by the Coast Guard Academy.

Blum won the discus (132-01), javelin (177-05) and finished in a three-way tie for first in the pole vault with a vault of 11-3.75 feet.

Blum also won both the shot put and the high jump during the first day of the decathlon. He finished with 6,191 points while Ben Roy from WPI was second with 6,046 points.

Five other athletes had won the New England Division III decathlon championship twice, but no one had ever won back-to-back championships before Blum did it in 2006, 2007 and now made it a three-peat with the win this year.

Blum had a toss of 44 feet, 3.5 inches to win the shot put while jumping 6 feet, 2.75 inches to win the high jump. He was fourth in both the 100 meters (11.78) and the 400 meters (53.26) and he placed fifth in the long jump (18-9.75) and 1,500 meters (4:53.58) and sixth in the 110 hurdles (18.26).

Coast Guard senior Beau Belanger was third with 5,583 points while freshman Jesse Cremeans placed fourth with 5,512 points, both earned All-New England honors.

Belanger tied for first place in the pole vault (11-3.75) and placed second in the javelin (162-09).

Cremeans won the final event, the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:26.29. He also won the 400 meters with a time of 51.73 to close out the first day of competition. He tied for first in the pole vault (11-3.75) and was second in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 6.5 inches and he tied for second in the high jump (6-0.5).