Celebrating A Century of NCAA Track & Field Championships
Mason’s Muzzio Starred In Decathlon
Rob Muzzio of George Mason experienced opposite ends of the winning spectrum in becoming the first back-to-back decathlon winner in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.
In 1984, a 19-year-old Muzzio set a collegiate record of 8227 points to win by a meet record margin of 336 points. “Gaudy” was a term decathlon guru Frank Zarnowski used to describe his performance.
In 1985, Muzzio won by a scant three points – the closest in meet history – with a tally of 7968. This time writers called him “gutty.”
Why such a difference?
“I’ve been hurt all year and any part of the anatomy you want to name has been hurt,” Muzzio said after a 1985 day-one lead that was about 200 points less than he had in 1984.