Brentwood High graduate Kevin Lazas broke the American junior record in the seven-event hepatathlon at the SEC Indoor Championships. (Photo by Wendy Hitt / University of Arkansas)

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University of Arkansas freshman Kevin Lazas set an American junior record for the heptathlon with 5,674 as runner-up in the event at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Tenn.

Lazas, a two-time Tennessee state decathlon champion at Brentwood High, broke the under-20 national record of 5,478 set by Florida's Mike Morrison during the 2007 indoor season.

"What a great effort (Lazas) had for us," Arkansas track and field coach Chris Bucknam said. "I've said it all season but he is part of that younger group of guys on our team that brings so much energy to the track. He turned that energy into a very good performance in the heptathlon."

Lazas recorded collegiate bests in six of the seven events in the heptathlon and surpassed his own school record of 5,509 points set earlier this season.

The record performance at the SEC Indoor ranks him third among the nation's freshmen in the heptathlon and 14th overall in the NCAA.

Lazas opened with a 7.11-second time in the 60 meters for 844 points. His 23 foot, 7.25 mark in the long jump notched 859 points, and he scored 803 for a 6-6.75 high jump. His shot put of 43 yards, 4.25 inches added 680 points for a first-day total of 3,186.

On the second day, he clocked 8.68 in the 60-mter hurdles, good for 818 points. Lazas grabbed another 880 points with a pole vault of 16-0.75. In the final event, he ran 2 minutes, 47.71 seconds in the 1,000 meters.

Lazas competed last summer in the decathlon at the World Junior Championships in Canada, for under age 20.