"I had mixed feelings about it," Wineberg said. "I actually felt kind of bad."

Not bad about winning - bad about breaking his own coach's record. The Bearcat decathlon mark was set in 1978 by Jim Schnur, UC Hall of Famer, two-time United States National Team competitor, and 20th-year UC track coach. Wineberg's total score of 7,387 erased Schnur's mark by 13 points.

Schnur, women's track coach and leader of jumping events, figured it was about time the record was broken.

"It's funny, people are always asking me if I feel bad about the record going down. Actually, I feel quite the opposite. I feel very good about it, and I think it'll happen again," Schnur said.

The decades between the records reflect different attitudes about the decathlon. When Schnur was competing, he had only a friend to pace himself with. No coach, no special attention, no tips and no techniques.

Wineberg was guided to the decathlon his first day of track. The native of South Vienna, Ohio, excelled in the 400-meter dash and pole vault in high school.

"I wasn't exceptional at either, but it's kind of an odd combination," Wineberg said. "When I heard about decathlon, it sounded a lot like me. I like to try a lot of events even if I'm not good at any."

The decathlon is a two-day event where challengers compete in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.

The event requires the best all-around athlete to win, which is the kind of athlete Wineberg is, Schnur said. "Chris doesn't have a bad event. He's good at everything."

Wineberg said he's most confident in his staples, the 400 and pole vault. When he was in Texas, he said perfect weather and a little tailwind boosted him to his NCAA-qualifying height of 17 feet, 3/4 inch. His previous personal record was 15 feet, 9 inches.

Qualifying for the regional is no easy feat, but doing it in the middle of a decathlon event is rare.

By the time athletes get to pole vault, the eighth event, they're often more sapped than athletes just focusing on the event at a meet, Schnur said.

Wineberg will graduate this spring with a degree in a mechanical engineering. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his coach by pursuing the decathlon at levels beyond college.

"I definitely have the heart and desire to continue competing," Wineberg said. "It's just a matter of finding a place to do it, and the means."

Others

University of Alabama soccer player Lauren Imwalle (St. Ursula) was named the Southeastern Conference female scholar-athlete of the year and winner of the H.Boyd McWhorter Southeastern Conference Scholarship. Imwalle, a second-team All-SEC selection at defender, was a three-year starter and finished second on the team in minutes played with 1,542. Academically the biology major is a member of the Dean's List and has earned a presidential scholarship.

Belmont University freshman outfielder Erin Mullen (Sycamore) was named Atlantic Sun player of the week after being named to the All Tournament team at the North Carolina A&T Invitational. She batted .615 on 8-of-13 hitting. She leads the team in doubles (10) and stolen bases (9). The award is a first for the Bruin program.

Miami senior Derek Edwardson was named a second team All-American by JOFA (an international leader in hockey equipment) and the American Hockey Coaches Association, making him only the sixth Miamian to earn the distinction. The center iceman finished the season with 17 goals and 31 assists to tie for 10th overall nationally with 48 points. He was the fourth Miami player (Brian Savage, Dan Boyle, Randy Robitaille were the others) to be named one of 10 Hobey Baker Award finalists.

Crystal Norman, a freshman center at Cincinnati State, has been named an honorable mention Division I women's basketball All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Norman averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and two assists per game for the Lady Surge, who won their fifth consecutive Ohio Community College Athletic Conference regular season championship. Norman also was named Newcomer of the Year and all-Conference in the OCCAC.

Northern Kentucky University pitcher Krystal Lewallen is ranked No. 1 nationally in earned run average in the latest NCAA Division II softball statistics. Lewallen, a sophomore, owns a 0.15 earned run average to rank No. 1 in Division II. She has allowed just three earned runs in 137 2/3 innings pitched this season. Lewallen is sixth nationally in victories with 20, and she is 19th in strikeouts with 9.0 per game.

---

E-mail srussell@enquirer.com