PREP TRACK & FIELD
Legacy Academy star Jay Lee jumps into decathlon dream
Two-sport star has never run a decathlon, but he's about to get his chance with Colorado State
Jay Lee is that rare athlete, having been recruited to a Division I program to do something he鈥檚 never done before.
The Legacy Academy senior has signed at Colorado State 鈥� to be a decathlete.
Which is something he has yet to do even once.
鈥淚 saw the writing on the wall. That鈥檚 my ticket,鈥� Lee, 18, said, of the chance to jump at signing with the Rams to be a specialist.
Lee last year was a four-time state champion with the Silverbacks at the state meet, winning both hurdles, the 200, and the pole vault. He ran second in the 100-meter final. He was the high-point athlete in the Class 2A division.
He competes in both open sprints, plus the 400, both hurdles, plus the pole vault, and he is expected to be a major factor at the upcoming state meet.
But the decathlon is new territory.
As soon as state is finished, the 6-foot, 150-pound Lee will begin training for the upcoming Great Southwest Classic at the University of New Mexico, which occurs the first weekend in June.
CSU recruited and signed Lee specifically to be a decathlete, recognizing his versatility in both running and field events.
鈥淚鈥檓 super excited,鈥� Lee said. One of the highlights of his season was clearing 15 feet, 1 inch in the pole vault at the elite Chandler meet in suburban Phoenix last month. 鈥淚 was stressing a little bit about where I was going. I didn鈥檛 have a lot of looks, but I just kept my faith, kept working.鈥�
Lee also is a standout football player for Legacy Academy. He said he plans to also do a decathlon at the Nike Nationals in June in Eugene, Oregon.
鈥淚 just saw the opportunity to go and do something great,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think a lot of people in New Mexico get a chance to go to a Division I school, especially for track.鈥�
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .
