Miley sets Bates pentathlon mark

If John Miley had one goal this season, breaking the pentathlon record at Bates College would have been it. But the senior from Hanson didn't think the record would fall this quickly.

In the first meet of the indoor season on Dec. 8, Miley won the Bates College pentathlon, scoring 3,472 points, surpassing Joe Northrup's mark set in 2005 by 91 points.

"The whole thing was really surprising," Miley said.

Miley's long jump (20 feet, 8 inches) and high jump (6 feet, 2 inches) distances - both personal bests - also qualified him for the New England Division 3 Championships in each event. The other sports in the pentathlon are the shot put, 55-meter hurdles, and 1,000-meter run.

Bates College interim track coach Matthew Capone said Miley, for the first time as a collegian, is not hampered by a nagging injury.

"Over the past couple of years he's come into the season in excellent shape, but he always ended up with the injury bug here and there," Capone said. "Now he's 100 percent, you can see the results."

Miley began competing in the pentathlon and decathlon events while a student at Whitman-Hanson. He considers the shot put the most exciting event, and the pole vault (a decathlon sport) the most difficult.

Once Miley reached Bates, he continued to improve, crediting a weight-lifting program for his increased strength and speed.

"I'm so much more explosive. It helps in every event," he said.

Miley also learned from watching athletes like Northrup, who was a senior when Miley was a freshman.

With each record that falls, the reputation of the college's track and field program grows.

"We have a phenomenal program, and our top 10 performances would be excellent marks on the New England level or the national level," Capone said. "Any time a record falls, it's a great achievement because you know you have a top-flight athlete in New England who is able to compete nationally."

Miley will compete at the New England Division 3 pentathlon in February, while keeping an eye on his chief rival in the NESCAC, Tufts senior Nate Scott. In the Bates pentathlon, Scott was second with 3,422 points, surpassing the school record he set last season by 7 points.

"They have a great relationship and go back and forth in the pentathlon," Capone said. "That will be plenty of motivation for (Miley) to continue to improve."

Two more Thayer Academy athletes have verbally committed to play football at the collegiate level next season.

Receiver Ryan Urso of Dorchester and defensive back Miniard Culpepper Jr. of Milton have given their commitments to Wesleyan, a Division 3 program in the NESCAC.

This past season, Urso led the 6-2 Tigers with 25 catches for 501 yards and six touchdowns.

Culpepper had two interceptions and chipped in offensively with 10 catches for 177 yards.

Urso and Culpepper become the fifth and sixth players from this season's team who are expected to play college football next season.

Tailback Matt Evans (New Hampshire), lineman Evan Murray (Tufts), Alex Schulman (Dartmouth), and tailback Ian Vieira (Bowdoin) all committed to play in 2008.

It may be December, but it isn't too soon to think about baseball. The Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League released their 2008 schedule last week, with the home opener scheduled for May 24 against the Nashua Pride, the first of 47 home games scheduled to be played at Campanelli Stadium.

Rox officials plan to create more of a festive atmosphere around the team this season, introducing an after-game Saturday night concert series. Games on Saturday night will begin at 6:05 p.m. Another new promotion: Kids Eat Free on Monday night. The event will include a special ticket package for families that will feature a voucher for the concession stand.

Friday night fireworks and Sunday family fun days will return for the 2008 season, with 23 of the 47 home games scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Holiday ticket packages are available and include a Rox holiday ornament and a Flex Pack, a booklet of 10 undated vouchers good for a box seat at any Rox home game. For more information, call 508-559-7000 or visit brocktonrox.com.

A wheelchair basketball classifier certification clinic will be conducted by the New England Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the Brockton VA Medical Center.

A classifier is described as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or physician who is certified to apply the rules of wheelchair basketball to athletes with disabilities. Each athlete is required to be classified in order to play in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

Upcoming college graduates are encouraged to attend the clinic, although they will not be certified until they are licensed in their respective fields.

The $20 entry fee will be returned to those who complete the classification clinic.

For more information, contact Thomas Dodd at 508-660-1181 or visit nepva.org.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.