COLLEGE STATION, Texas – SEC decathlon champion Claston Bernard broke the LSU record for first day decathlon point total late Thursday evening and leads the College Station Multis at Texas A&M by a commanding margin.
Bernard, the 2000 NCAA runner-up in the event, posted a first day total of 4,342 and has a 224 point lead over Ryan Harlan of Rice heading into Friday night’s conclusion.
Bernard’s total broke the 13-year old LSU day one record previously held by Bruce Reid, who posted a first day score of 4,307 in 1988.
Bernard can become only the third LSU man to ever reach the 8,000-point plateau on Friday night, joining former NCAA champions Mario Sategna and Mikael Olander. The LSU record in the event is 8,172 by Sategna at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The junior is the defending champion in the event and won last year with a then-personal best point total of 7,506.