Four members of the Shippensburg University men's track & field team completed the first five events of the decathlon on Thursday, with Mason Boyd currently leading the way in competition at Susquehanna University's Doug Arthur Stadium.
 
Boyd leads the 14 competitors in the maroon "top" section of the decathlon with an impressive 3,771 points. Robert Lissner is in fifth place with 3,484 points, Ryan Murphy is in sixth place with 3,348 points, and Noah Bankert is in 11th place with 2,994 points.
 
Competing in his first multi since earning indoor All-America Second Team honors in the heptathlon, Boyd posted the top mark in the shot put (38 feet, 5 ½ inches) and in the 400 meters (49.38 seconds). He posted the No. 2 mark in the long jump (22 feet, 4 ½ inches) and the high jump (6 feet, 3 ¼ inches) and the No. 3 times in the 100 meters (11.07 seconds).
 
For Boyd, his shot put was a huge outdoor PR of more than three feet. He was a just a tenth of a second off his PR in the 400, only a half-second off his PR in the 100, and a mere ¾ inches off his outdoor best in the high jump.
 
Lissner impressed with a host of new outdoor personal bests. His long jump was perhaps his most significant PR of the day, as he enhanced his outdoor best in the event from 20 feet, 4 ½ inches up to 21 feet, 9 inches. Lissner ran a new 400-meter PR of 50 seconds flat and a new 100-meter PR of 11.15 seconds. He also raised his outdoor high jump PR by a quarter of an inch to 5 feet, 11 ½ inches.
 
Murphy improved his 100-meter outdoor best by .29 seconds to 11.09 seconds, and upped his shot put best to 32 feet, 11 inches. His biggest breakthrough came at the end of a long day, completing the 400-meter dash around 9 p.m. with a new outdoor best of more than a second, crossing the finish line in 52.48 seconds.
 
Bankert improved his outdoor best in the long jump to 20 feet, 5 inches and in the 400 to 54.11 seconds. He recorded his initial times and marks for the season in the 100, the shot put and the high jump.
 
The second and final day of the multis is tomorrow at Susquehanna.
 
Decathlon (Maroon) [5/10 events]
1. Mason Boyd 3771
5. Robert Lissner 3484
6. Ryan Murphy 3348
11. Noah Bankert 2994
 
100
3. Mason Boyd 11.07
4. Ryan Murphy 11.09
5. Robert Lissner 11.15
Noah Bankert 11.56
 
Long Jump
2. Mason Boyd 22' 4 ½" (6.82m)
Robert Lissner 21' 9" (6.63m)
Ryan Murphy 20' 7" (6.27m)
Noah Bankert 20' 5" 96.22m)
 
Shot Put
1. Mason Boyd 38' 5 ½" (11.72m)
Ryan Murphy 32' 11" (10.03m)
Robert Lissner 32' (9.75m)
Noah Bankert 24' 9 ¼" (7.55m)
 
High Jump
2. Mason Boyd 6' 3 ¼" (1.91m)
4. Ryan Murphy 6' 0 ¾" (1.85m)
Robert Lissner 5' 11 ½" (1.82m)
Noah Bankert 5' 11 ½" (1.82m)
 
400
1. Mason Boyd 49.38
2. Robert Lissner 50.00
Ryan Murphy 52.48
Noah Bankert 54.11