Brentwood Home Page news reports
Former Brentwood High star Kevin Lazas, a rising sophomore at the University of Arkansas, captured the Pan Am Junior Championships while representing the U.S. in the decathlon Saturday in Miramar, Fla.

Lazas, a two-time Tennessee state high school champ, outdueled future Razorbacks teammate Gunnar Nixon, a recent Oklahoma high school graduate. Lazas had a meet-record 7,979 points to Nixon’s 7,669.

Kevin Lazas

"A full year at the NCAA level with a great bunch of coaches and great facilities has really helped me develop," Lazas said after the meet. "Last year the World Juniors was the first big meet I had ever been to and it psyched me out.

"I have improved in basically every event, but especially in the pole vault. Going into 2012 my goal is to make the Trials, and my dream is to make the Olympic team. If not, any international team would be great to be able to compete in another part of the world."

Lazas entered the day with just a 16-point lead over Nixon, but expanded it to 21 points after the two finished 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles to start off Day 2. A 14.35-second time in the hurdles gave Lazas his highest single-event total of 930 points.

He also scored 880 points in the pole vault with a height of 16 feet, 0.75 inches. Lazas' lead grew from 103 to 355 points with first-place finishes in both the pole vault and javelin.

"My last javelin throw today was a big PR,"  he said. "I got the tip up and nailed it.

"The vault was tough because the crosswind was blowing us all over the place."

The BHS alum set personal bests in the 100 meters and javelin during the competition.

Earlier this summer, he set the American junior record by winning the USA junior event with 8,016 points.

Argentina’s Manuel Ruggeri was third with 7,118 points. Fourth went to Brazil’s Victor Santos (7,057) and fifth place was Canada’s James Turner (6,915).