Hawkins leads six U.S. women in heptathlon top 10 with 3,753 points, highlighted by strong efforts in 100 hurdles, high jump and shot put; West wins 400 following weather delay to add to victories in 100 and long jump to achieve 4,308 points, but Vollmer one of five German decathletes in top eight in Texas

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Chari Hawkins was able to complete her impressive first-day schedule without interruption Saturday at the 28th edition of the Thorpe Cup.

Austin West didn’t let a significant weather delay affect his momentum at Turner Stadium at St. Mark’s School of Texas.

Both American athletes concluded competition against Germany as the leaders entering Sunday’s events in Dallas in the return of the heptathlon and decathlon showcase involving the countries for the first time since 2019.

WATCH THE U.S. AND GERMANY COMPETE IN THORPE CUP LIVE JULY 10 ON USATF.TV | RESULTS | EVENT VIDEOS

West accumulated 4,308 points in the first half of the decathlon and Hawkins amassed 3,753 points following four events in the heptathlon.

The American women, who have won 10 consecutive meetings with Germany in the overall series, lead by a 17,499 to 16,761 margin based on the opening-day scores of the top five competitors for each country.

Germany, which hasn’t lost to the U.S. men since 2016, leads at the midway point by a 20,749 to 19,953 margin, despite 2019 decathlon champion Andreas Bechmann completing only three events and withdrawing from competition.

West, an Iowa sophomore, opened the day winning the 100-meter dash in 10.75 seconds followed by a victorious long jump performance of 24 feet, 9.25 inches (7.55m).

Despite waiting for more than an hour during the weather delay because of thunder and lightning warnings in the area, West was able to refocus to triumph in the 400 in 46.92 to grab the lead against Germany’s Max Vollmer, an Oregon junior who accumulated 4,253 points.

West achieved a personal-best 8,179 points in April at the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., producing a first-day score of 4,343 points.

Vollmer surpassed his opening-day performance of 4,236 points in April at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, where he achieved his lifetime-best 8,022 effort.

Jack Flood, who is in sixth place overall for the Americans with 4,104 points, won the high jump with a 6-9.75 (2.08m) clearance. Hunter Price, the overall leader for the U.S. after clearing 6-8.75 (2.05m) in the high jump, enters Sunday’s competition in third with 4,217 points.

Nico Beckers, in fourth place with 4,199 points and one of five German athletes to surpass 4,000 at the midway point, prevailed in the shot put with a mark of 52-11.50 (16.14m).

Hawkins won the 100 hurdles in 13.29, matched the best clearance in the high jump at 5-10.75 (1.80m), also achieved by Germany’s Nicola Ader – an All-American at Nevada-Reno – and produced the top mark in the shot put at 45-2.50 (13.78m).

Hawkins’ opening-day score en route to her personal-best 6,243-point performance June 4-5 in Spain was 3,808 points. She achieved a first-day total of 3,856 at last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials and finished with 6,236.

Melanie Winters enjoyed a meaningful first-day breakthrough, highlighted by winning the 200 in 24.11.

Winters is second overall behind Hawkins with 3,602 points, surpassing her previous-best opening-day effort of 3,517 from April in Tennessee, where she finished with 5,653. She has amassed 5,716 points in 2019, a performance that included a wind-aided long jump effort.

Anna-Lena Obermaier completed the first day in third with 3,482 points and Ader amassed 3,424 to lead Germany, which had four competitors surpass 3,300, compared to six athletes for the Americans.

Allie Jones of Stanford (3,408), Duke graduate Erin Marsh (3,372) and Blue Devils assistant coach Sarah Glidden (3,364), along with Saginaw Valley State standout Cheyenne Williamson (3,317) are all in the top 10 for the U.S. entering the long jump Sunday.