Case Western Reserve's Obinna Nwanna wins decathlon at NCAA Division III track championships

Case Western Reserve's Obinna Nwanna won the decathlon in the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships and B-W's Steve Price, a North Olmsted native, finished 10th.

BEREA, Ohio — One decathlete from a Cleveland college was competing to become the national champion in the 10-part event while another from a different Cleveland college was striving to attain All-America status in the event Friday at Baldwin-Wallace in Berea.

Case Western Reserve's Obinna Nwanna won the decathlon in the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships and B-W's Steve Price, a North Olmsted native, finished 10th.

Nwanna stood in third place after Thursday's first five events, while Price sat ninth, one spot from the podium and an All-American trophy.

"I am usually a first-day guy," Nwanna said. "I usually get most of my points in those first five events and if I am sitting in a decent spot in the middle of the whole event, I have a good shot at winning. Winning this title is the highlight of my career."

Price finished 66 points behind the eighth-place finisher.

B-W's Kim Chinn, seeded 10th for the steeplechase, surprised with a second-place finish.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Salisbury's Cory Beebe (Cloverleaf) qualified for today's final by winning his heat in 14.27. The Medina native qualified in the 400 hurdles Thursday.

Elise Johnson of Williams College (Mass.), a Trinity High grad, qualified for the 100 hurdles final in 14.11.

"It was nice to have a cheering section here for me and coming back this week allowed me to see my new nephew for the first time. Knowing that the nationals would be here gave me the extra push to do well enough in the other meets this season to get here," Johnson said.

Norm Weber is a freelance writer in Broadview Heights.