SEATTLE (May 22) ­ Seattle Pacific University's Chris Randolph, the nation's top decathlon scorer this spring, has been voted the West Region field event male athlete of the year in NCAA Division II.

Randolph (Sr., Lone Tree, Co./Denver Christian) broke two Seattle Pacific records this season and surpassed the automatic qualifying standard with a score of 7621 points, which is more than 600 ahead of the No. 2 qualifier.

The defending national champion in the decathlon, Randolph is a finalist for the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's national athlete of the year to be announced Wednesday in Emporia, Kansas­site of the NCAA Championships.

Already this season Randolph has erased longstanding SPU records in the decathlon and 400 meters (48.27). His top marks in the 110-meter hurdles (14.82), pole vault (14-11) and discus (161-9) all rate No. 2 all-time for the Falcons.

Randolph begins the NCAA decathlon competition Thursday on the campus of Emporia State.