TRACK AND FIELD / JUNIOR OLYMPICS : Theriault Sets National Mark in Young Men’s Decathlon

Ryan Theriault has had a bad year.

Sure, he won the young men’s decathlon Wednesday at the Junior Olympics track and field championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

And, yes, he set a national record with his point total of 6,797.

But if you ask Theriault, 17, of Las Vegas, a variety of injuries have detracted from his performances.

“I haven’t really improved all year,” said Theriault, who broke the previous record of 6,768.

There was not much room for improvement to begin with. In last year’s Junior Olympics, he set the record in the intermediate boys’ decathlon with 6,722 points.

In 1989, he set the youth boys’ pentathlon record. In 1990, he no-heighted in the pole vault--and still won the decathlon.

Dan O’Brien, eat your heart out.

Sam Germany, The Athletics Congress Region 15 coordinator, has known Theriault for about nine years.

“He was setting new records every year,” Germany said. “He’s like a purebred champion. He’s very confident. He’s intelligent. The kid thinks through his competition.”

Theriault does that in a tent he takes to the track. Between events he parks himself in it and relaxes while listening to his portable tape player.

“When you look at a decathlon, it’s probably seven minutes of actual competition and 24 hours of waiting,” said John Dixon, Theriault’s coach. “(The tent) is a place for him to be by himself, to get away from the other kids.”

Germany, a former assistant track and field coach at Nevada Las Vegas, said that Theriault, who will be a high school senior in the fall, should be an excellent college decathlete.

As far as Theriault eventually being a world-class decathlete, it still is too early to tell, but he twice has been invited to the decathlon camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., which usually includes only collegians.

“Right now, the only thing I want to do is get a scholarship,” he said. “That’s the reason I started this. After that, I’ll decide if I want to continue competing.”

Theriualt was boltstered by a strong second day, which included throws of 170 feet 1 inch in the javelin and 156-7 in the discus.

Junior Olympics Notes

Competition in the individual events will start at 8 this morning at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. . . . Jessica Cosby of Mission Hills won the bantam girls’ triathlon with a record 1,324 points. La Shinda Demus of Los Angeles finished third with 1,013. . . . Rosemary Harris of Windsor, Conn., broke the young women’s pentathlon record with a 4,729, breaking the mark by 143 points. . . . Shaundra Smith of Belleglade, Fla., set a record in the intermediate girls’ heptathlon with 4,986. Shalynn Carr of La Verne finished a distant third with 4,157 points. . . . Robert Weighall of Bakersfield won the intermediate boys’ decathlon with a 6,483.