Eugene, Ore. - University at Albany's Matthew Catera tied for seventh in the men's decathlon on Friday, June 24 at the 2011 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The four-day competition is being held at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, site of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
With his top-eight performance, Catera becomes the ninth UAlbany athlete to earn Junior All-America recognition. Catera, a 19-year old from Whitestone, N.Y., scored 6,399 points in the grueling two-day, 10-event competition. He and Michael DiMambro, a scholastic senior from Essex High in Vermont, scored the same total.
An Archbishop Molloy graduate, Catera placed fourth in the 400-meter dash in 50.50 seconds and was sixth in the 100-meter dash in 11.32 seconds on the first day. Catera started quickly on the second day when he ran the 110-hurdles in 14.96 to take fifth and was fourth in the discus with a throw of 121-feet, 7-inches. Catera, who set the school record when he was third at the America East Conference Championships in May, concluded the junior national meet by running 1,500 meters in 4:50.94.
Since 2004, UAlbany has produced nine junior All-Americans, including Catera, Sean Halpin, Tyler Fogarty, John Moore, Joe Greene, Alyssa Lotmore, Ryan Gaedje, Jessica Ortman, and Jenna Ortman.
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2011 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Men's Decathlon
1. Kevin Lazas (Arkansas), 8,016 points; 2. Gunnar Nixon (unattached), 7,748; 3. Kevin Nielsen (Revolution Express Track Club), 6,887; 4. Alec Fellows (unattached), 6,802; 5. Jamey Robson (Akron), 6,560; 6. Idarre Coles (unattached), 6,455; t7. Matthew Catera (UAlbany), 6,399; t7. Michael DiMambro (unattached), 6,399; 9. Tim Gilman (Missouri), 6,398; 10. Sam Houston (Fordham), 6,348; 11. Dillon Fox (Long Beach State), 6,247; 12. Solomon Ijah (unattached), 6,122; 13. Austin Basterrechea (College of Idaho), 6,071.
