Whitefish Grad Walburn Wins NAIA Championship
Carroll College freshman Lee Walburn wins decathlon at the NAIA National Track and Field Championships
By Micah Drew
Lee Walburn, a Carroll College redshirt freshman from Whitefish, won a national championship in the men’s decathlon at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on May 27.
Decathletes compete in 10 different track and field disciplines over the course of two days and Walburn was sitting in second place after the first day of events, with the lead in sight. A strong performance in the final five events, including a first-place finish in the javelin and a second-place finish in the discus, vaulted Walburn into first place as the national champion.
During the indoor season, Walburn finished fifth at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the heptathlon, the indoor equivalent of the decathlon, and broke the school record in the event for the Saints.
Walburn’s final score after 10 events was 7095, well ahead of runner-up Joseph Dotson with 6957. Earlier in the season, Walburn qualified for the national championship with a score of 6528, which broke the existing Carroll College school record.
While at Whitefish High School, Walburn excelled as a multisport athlete, competing in basketball as well as track and field. As a senior in 2019, he won the Class A state title in the 300-meter hurdles and took third in the 400-meter and 110-meter hurdles.
