CRETE, NEB.  — In his first decathlon of the spring, Will Daniels (junior, Geneseo, Ill.) has a nearly 500-point lead at the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic after the first day of action.
           
Mary Gray (sophomore, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) and Kiki Pingel (sophomore, Pella) are also in the top-five of the women's heptathlon.
           
Decathlon
           
Daniels piled up 3,846 points, 491 more than Levi Sudbeck of Doane University (Neb.) in second place (3,357 points), by winning all five events.
           
He opened his day by going under 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash for the first time in his career and ended it with a new personal-best time of 51.50 in the 400-meter dash.
           
"He had a significant improvement in the 400 but he would tell you he was a little slow in the first 200," associate head coach Jim Fuller said. "He's got everything he needs to run a second faster. I was also happy with the PR in the 100."
           
In the second and third events, Fuller saw room for improvement by Daniels. He settled for 21-9.5 in the long jump and 39-1.25 in the shot put. He excelled in event No. 4, clearing 6-10.25 in the high jump.
           
"He struggled in the long jump and shot put," Fuller said. "He rebounded and that's the most important thing to me. He had two events that were off a little bit but then high jumped really well."
           
Heptathlon
With 2,625 points Gray is tied for third. Pingel's 2,602 points has her in the fifth spot. Cali Stewart of Hastings College (Neb.) is in first with 2,802 points.
           
"I was very pleased with the women today," Fuller said.
           
Gray finished third in the 100-meter hurdles (15.51 seconds) with Pingel in sixth (15.92 seconds). Both athletes tied for seventh in the high jump at 4-11.
           
"Their hurdling took a big step forward today," Fuller said. "The high jump was also very good. Those were two events that stick out in mind."
           
In the shot put, Gray was third (24-2.25) and Pingel was fifth (32-2.25). Pingel was second in the 200-meter dash (26.66 seconds) and Gray was eighth (27.48 seconds).
           
Day two of the decathlon starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the heptathlon launching at 11 a.m.
           
"Hopefully we can get a good night's sleep and get some food in us and come out for a really good day tomorrow," Fuller said.