BLACKSBURG, Va. — It seems like every time Ian Rock competes with a Blue Devil jersey on, something good happens.
The former Davis High standout — who won a prep state championship in the pole vault — is now a sophomore on the Duke track and field team, which competed at the ACC Indoor Championships last weekend. On Friday, Rock earned ACC gold in the men’s heptathlon with a personal-best 5,328 points.
“I was so relieved when it was over,” Rock said. “It felt so good. I gave coach (Shawn) Wilbourn a hug and it felt great to know that all the work that I’ve put into it and all the stuff I’ve invested, even just over these two days, was worth it. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Rock started the day in fifth place, but just over 100 points behind the leader.
He climbed the ladder with a personal-best 8.71 in the 60-meter hurdles, then hit another PR in his bread and butter event — the pole vault. Rock’s height of 16-0.75 moved him into second place, and one last personal record — a 2:38.41 in the 1,000 meters — clinched the overall victory.
“We know that my second day is better than my first day,” Rock said. “I made it hard on myself but I knew that I had to try. I was able to get a personal record in hurdles, I knew I had to have a good day in pole vault and I matched my personal best there.
“Going into the 1,000, I knew that I could win so I just had to run a good race.”
From: http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/sports-briefs-dhs-grad-rocks-the-acc-indoor-championships/
