Jack of all trades, master of some — in a sport where good “multis” are few and far between, the Middlebury track & field program has had a unique few seasons. Emily Rubio ’26 and Caleb Smith ’27 have represented the Panthers on the NCAA stage a combined seven times in the multi-sport event, and in this issue of Tapped-in, I spoke with the duo to better understand what their competition entails.
A “multi” in track and field competes in either the pentathlon, heptathlon or decathlon. During the indoor season, women compete in the single-day pentathlon: 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and the 800 meters. While indoors, men compete in the two-day heptathlon: the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump occur on day one, and the 110-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1k on day two. Both competitions take place in the exact same order, and athletes are always given 30 minutes between events. No electronic devices are allowed during these breaks, and at higher-level meets, a personal referee monitors each athlete — even by the urinals, as in Smith’s case at the indoor NCAAs this winter.
“You’re kind of caged for seven hours,” Rubio said.
The challenge escalates in the outdoor season. Women compete in a revised two-day heptathlon: the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200 meters occur on the first day, with the long jump, javelin and 800 meters reserved for day two. Men compete in the decathlon: Day one includes the 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters, while the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500 meters occur on the second day.
Athletes score points on an exponential scale. Certain events are weighed more than others, with an emphasis on running over jumping and throwing. The formula used to calculate scores is A x (P – B)C, where A, B and C are constants unique to each event, and P represents the athlete’s performance in that event. Placement within each event is irrelevant — athletes are ranked by the sum of their scores across all events.
With logistics established, it is evident that multi-event competitions demand ridiculous versatility from athletes. Being able to hurl a 16-pound shot is not conducive to running a fast 1500, just as launching a javelin far doesn’t lend itself to being a good hurdler. In the outdoor heptathlon and decathlon, simply completing the sheer number of events means a seven- to eight-hour day of competition, and the longest running event is always saved for last— a genuinely cruel and unusual marathon.
Are multis masochists? Rubio and Smith’s respective histories with the sport suggest not. For Rubio, her journey began from the bars and on the beam. “From a young age, I did gymnastics, and I turned out to be really bad at that, but I was really good at the running and jumping part,” Rubio explained. She took her abilities to the track, quickly specializing in the hurdles and high jump. By high school, her coach saw the potential.
“My coach was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna put you in this pentathlon, it’s five events, you already do two of them, why don’t we try it?’” The pentathlon clicked for her, and after a few years of sticking with the event, Rubio now holds Middlebury’s pentathlon and heptathlon school records, and All-American pentathlon honors, among other accolades.
Smith’s multi-tale follows a similar thread. He was a thrower in high school, specialising in javelin and shot put. Then, in his sophomore year, his moment came.
“One day I just left [the throwing area] and went over to the high jump, started high jumpin’.”
The migration grabbed the attention of Smith’s coach, who signed him up for the annual Connecticut state high school decathlon. Smith placed 15th out of 48, an impressive debut. To compete in college, Smith would have to clear taller hurdles, throw a heavier shot and discus and formally learn how to pole vault. With five years gone, his achievements at Middlebury — the heptathlon school record, all-NESCAC honors and All-American heptathlon honors, to name a few — speak for themselves.
Despite having both excelled as multis, Rubio and Smith take markedly different approaches to the discipline. “The order of events shapes my mindset. First is hurdles, and if I do well in that, it kind of sets the tone for the rest,” Rubio explained about the pentathlon. The events are all interrelated for her, and even frustration from a poor performance in one event can motivate a better performance in the next. “It’s a whole rollercoaster of emotions for sure,” Rubio remarked.
“I find it hard to stay locked in the whole time,” Smith said in contrast. “I never take it too seriously.” The decathlon typically lasts a combined 14 hours across both days— to remain focused the entire time is a battle in itself. “Right when I get on the runway, I’ll lock it in, but if I’m not actively doing something, I’ll just be hanging out,” Smith explained.
Yet Rubio and Smith agree on the isolation that results from training as a multi. Between two-a-day sessions, frequent lifts and a unique training schedule, multis often practice alone. Meets can be isolating as well. “You’re kind of just fighting your own demons … all that mental work can be very draining,” Rubio said.
From needing six pairs of shoes to scoring more points than entire teams at the NESCAC Championship (there is no multi-event competition at the meet, so Rubio and Smith compete — and excel — in multiple events as individuals), the discipline is a true test of the all-around athlete. Being a multi, then, has been less an exercise in masochism and more a showcase of the Swiss Army Knife-like athleticism of Middlebury track & field’s atypical duo.
Simon Schmieder '26 (he/him) is a Senior Sports Editor.
Simon is an avid runner and biker and enjoys spending time outdoors. He is a philosophy and political science joint major with a minor in German, in addition to being a Philly sports fan.
