Longhorns Freshman George Patrick Takes Decathlon Gold, Leads American Duo To Go 1-2


University of Texas freshman George Patrick and Germantown Academy (Pa.) rising senior Kyle Garland went toe-to-toe in the men's decathlon over two days at the Pan American Junior Championships, culminating with a gold and silver finish on Saturday in Trujillo, Peru.

Patrick's stellar win in the javelin (52.02m) and fifth-place performance in the 1500m (5:05.09) gave the Brentwood Academy (Tn.) graduate his first international win, though it's his second medal following his fourth-place outing in the decathlon at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2015.  

Garland, meanwhile, excelled across the board, showcasing a promising future for one of the best returning preps in the nation. 

Ultimately, the competition ended with a 1-2 finish as Patrick, who dominated over 10 events, scored a total of 7,514 points, 302 more than Garland's second-place effort of 7,212.

But it was a stirring effort from both that finished a solid day's worth of action that saw Americans tally five gold medals -- including two back-to-back wins in the 400m relay -- six silver and and four bronze. 

Stay tuned on MileSplit as Pan American Junior (U20) Championship coverage continues Sunday. 


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