Owens overcomes big deficit against Georgia’s Garland in final two events with personal-best efforts in pole vault and 1,000 meters to improve on his own Puerto Rican national record, elevate to No. 24 all-time globally with 6,272 points

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ayden Owens knew only seven events were being scored Friday and Saturday in the men’s heptathlon at the Razorback Invitational.

But Owens, representing Arkansas and Puerto Rico, said the most significant difference in his two-day performance at Randal Tyson Track Center versus the last time he squared off against Georgia’s Kyle Garland at the same venue at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships was the unspoken eighth event of winning the mental battle.

Facing a 157-point deficit with two events remaining, Owens responded with personal-best efforts in both the pole vault and 1,000 meters to not only improve on his own national record, but achieve the No. 2 performance in collegiate indoor history and ascend to the No. 24 all-time global competitor.

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Owens cleared 15 feet, 11 inches (4.85m) in the pole vault and ran 2:35.93 in the 1,000 to accumulate 6,272 points, rallying past Garland, who finished with 6,163 points.

It marked the fourth time in Division 1 indoor history that multiple athletes scored at least 6,100 points in the same competition, but the first to ever occur during the regular season, with the other three all taking place at NCAA championship meets.

Only the all-time collegiate mark of 6,499 points achieved by Oregon star Ashton Eaton remains in front of Owens, who entered the competition with a previous-best 5,995 from his third-place performance representing Michigan at last year’s Division 1 indoor final.

The top three marks in collegiate history and four of the top six totals, including the winning effort of 6,264 accumulated by Georgia’s Karel Tilga at last season’s NCAA indoor championship meet, have all been established at Randal Tyson Track Center. Garland was runner-up to Tilga last year with 6,200 points.

Garland closed the opening day Friday with a 53-2.25 (16.21m) shot put – elevating to No. 2 in collegiate indoor heptathlon history – and a 7-1 (2.16m) clearance in the high jump to establish a 152-point advantage over Owens, which he extended slightly after prevailing Saturday in the 60-meter hurdles by a 7.86 to 7.88 margin.

But after Garland only managed to clear 14-3.25 (4.35m) in the pole vault, the opportunity materialized for Owens to capitalize and he took full advantage, delivering a clutch third-attempt clearance at 15-11 to close the deficit to just eight points entering the 1,000. Garland ran 2:46.57 in the 1,000 and could only watch as Owens improved on his previous-best effort by more than four seconds.

It marked the first indoor victory against Garland in Owens’ career, with both 21-year-old athletes born on the same day in Pennsylvania. Garland attended Germantown Academy, with Owens graduating from North Allegheny High.

Owens, last year’s NCAA outdoor runner-up in the decathlon competing for Michigan, also surpassed the 2013 Arkansas heptathlon record of 6,175 points achieved by Kevin Lazas at the Division 1 indoor final at Randal Tyson Track Center.