ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Donté Robinson steps up to a new stage this weekend as the Portland State track & field alum competes at the USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships in Annapolis, Md.
 
Robinson made the championships' 12-member field in the heptathlon after hitting the qualifying mark at last week's UW Invitational. Robinson scored a personal-best 5,493 points at the UW Invite, surpassing the USATF's 'A' standard of 5,450.
 
The first day of the heptathlon opens with the 60 meters at 7:15 a.m. PT / 10:15 a.m. ET Friday. The high jump, which starts at 10:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 p.m. ET, will conclude the first day before the competition resumes with the 60-meter hurdles at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET Saturday.
 
Robinson is competing unattached at the meet, after wrapping up a decorated Viking career that featured three Big Sky titles in the multi-events. Robinson won back-to-back titles in the heptathlon in 2018 and 2019 – becoming only the second athlete in Big Sky history to repeat as heptathlon champ – and won the 2018 decathlon title. Additionally, Robinson finished his Viking career ranked second all time in the heptathlon and decathlon, sitting behind only former NCAA first-team All-American Nick Trubachik.
 
Robinson is emulating Trubachik in a way in competing at this weekend's U.S. championships. Trubachik also competed at a U.S. meet following his graduation, completing a decathlon at the 2010 USATF Outdoor Championships, a few weeks after Trubachik placed seven in the decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Robinson's score at last week's UW Invitational surpassed Trubachik's best-ever mark in the heptathlon. Robinson's mark won't count as the Portland State school record since it came after his Viking career had concluded, but it still bettered Trubachik's best mark of 5,432 points from 2010.
 
Robinson set or tied personal bests in all four events of the first day of the heptathlon, finishing with a personal-best first-day score of 3,130 points. Robinson fell off pace a little bit on the second day of the heptathlon, but still finished well over the qualifying standard for this week's USATF meet.
 
Portland State fans can follow live results from the USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships here: https://results.mdtimingllc.com/meets/5042.