June 3, 2000

DURHAM, N.C. - California senior Bevan Hart took top honors in the decathlon with 8002 points at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. Hart rallied from third place and 187-points back after the first day of competition to win Cal's first track and field national title since 1993. He posted a career-best point total, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in his hometown of Sacramento in July and earned 10 points for Cal towards the team NCAA race.

Chris Huffins won the 1993 NCAA decathlon with a school record 8007 points and holds the distinction of being the last Golden Bear to win an NCAA track and field event championship. Hart entered the 2000 NCAAs ranked second in school history and the top seed with a PR of 7890 points, which he earned to win his second-consecutive Pac-10 title May 13-14, in Eugene, Ore.

LSU's Claston Bernard, the first day leader, finished second with 7806 points, while Tennessee's Boris Kawohl took third with 7788 points.

Hart began the day with 4035 points and got off to a strong start on Saturday in the two-day decathlon on the campus of Duke University. He clocked a decathlon PR of 14.92 in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing eighth overall and earning 859 points. He followed that effort up with a seventh-place finish in the discus in 130-9 (662) before earning 1035 points by taking top honors in the pole vault with his decathlon PR-tying clearance of 17-8.5.

A three-time captain, Hart wrapped up the day with fifth in the javelin in 176-4, another decathlon PR, and fourth in the grueling 1500 meters (4:26.65, 767 points). If Hart had duplicated his PR time of 4:22.52 (794) he ran at Pac-10s this year, he would have established a new Cal decathlon record with 8029 points.

Hart graduates Cal as a three-time All-American in the decathlon. Prior to winning the decathlon national title this year, he placed ninth (7270 points) as a sophomore in 1998 and third (7773 points) as a junior in 1999.

The four-day NCAA Championships conclude Saturday. Cal junior Bolota Asmerom is scheduled to run in the 5000 meters later this evening.