OTTAWA, Ontario (6/2/13) - Senior Ethan Turpen of the 2012-13 Arkansas State University men's track and field team represented Team USA at the 2013 Panamerican Combined Events Cup this weekend (June 1-2) in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada), and wrapped up competition with a 10th-place finish in the decathlon.

Turpen totaled a combined 6,818 points in the the two-day event, which was held at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Ottawa.  Cuba's Yordanis Garcis won the decathlon with 8,141 points and was followed by countrymen Jose Angel Mendieta, who accumulated a second-most 7,766 points.  Gary Horn was USA's top points leader as he placed third with a 7,581 points total as 22 of the 28 decathletes successfully completed the 10 events.       

Turpen produced four top-10 placings, which included a fifth-place showing in the 1,500-meters with a 4:42.26 time in the decathlon's final event.  He clocked a 4.92 time in the 110-meter hurdles to earn sixth place and had a 22-04.10//6.81m performance in the long jump to claim eighth place.  Turpen gained a share of 10th place in the 400-meter dash by sprinting a time of 4.92 and concluded Saturday's (June 1) initial five events with 3,613 points.   

This outdoor season, Turpen claimed All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team honors by finishing first in the decathlon at the 2013 SBC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (May 10-13) with a personal-record 7,222 points.  He garnered fourth place in the decathlon at the Ole Miss Invitational (March 13-14) after amassing 6,748 points.  Turpen captured first place at the 2013 SBC Indoor Championships (Feb. 24-25) in the men's heptathlon, accumulating 5,287 points in what marked his final collegiate indoor meet appearance.

In the 2011 outdoor campaign as a sophomore, Turpen won the decathlon at the SBC Championships by racking up a 6,682 points total to attain first-team all-conference laurels after placing third in the league championship outdoor event during his 2010 freshman year as a result of amassing 6,309 points.

The Pan American Combined Events Cup is a track and field competition in men's decathlon and women's heptathlon.  Organized by the Association of Panamerican Athletics (APA), new constituted in 2011, it is an annual contest for combined events athletes representing countries in the region.