Burke County native KJ Byrd on Thursday evening completed his 2025-26 season at the University of Louisville by finishing second in the two-day men’s decathlon event at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. The 2024 East Burke High School graduate and current Cardinals sophomore multi occupied third place after day one on Wednesday thanks to personal-best marks in the 100 meters (10.79), shot put (44’10¾”), and high jump (6’11¾”). Byrd then pulled into the lead entering the final event on day two, the 1500 meters, when he was edged by BYU’s Ben Barton, who totaled 8,169 points to Byrd’s 8,160. A 10-time high school state champion at EBHS and former ACC decathlon and pole vault champion, Byrd improved five spots from his seventh-place finish in the same event at outdoor nationals as a freshman in 2025.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.