Track and Field

The University of Dubuque men’s track and field athletes have a long history of success in the Iowa Conference (now American Rivers Conference) as well as on the national stage. The Spartan men’s success includes nearly 500 All-Conference honors, 43 All-America honors, and 6 National Championships; Basil Steele (2003, 2004, 2005, 55m Hurdles), Phillip Jones (2011, 55m Dash), Rick Valcin (2014, Pole Vault), and Blaze Murfin (2018-Shot Put). As a team the Spartans have hoisted the IIAC Conference Championship trophy 12 times and finished runner-up another 12.

With the addition of a new coaching staff in 2011, including 2013 IIAC Coach of the Year, Chad Gunnelson, the Spartan men have re-written the record books and look to continue the momentum into the this season.

UD Hall of Famer, Solomon Butler ruled the broad jump from 1912-1923. He won both the 100-yard dash and broad jump at the Penn Relays. Entering military service as a soldier in World War I he represented the U.S. Army in the Inter-Allied Games in Paris. He was knighted by the King of Montenegro after winning gold medal at 1919 in the broad jump with a winning leap at Paris, 24-9 1/2, which was only two inches from the Olympic record at the time.

Competing in the 1920 Olympics, on his first jump in the preliminaries, he pulled a tendon and was forced to withdraw. That injury-hampered effort was a shade under 21-8 and he finished seventh. He won the National Amateur Athletic Union championship that same year by broad jumping 24-8. By the time he retired from track and field, Butler had won 186 medals, 25 championship cups, eight gold shields, and four gold watches. He won five events at the Conference of Iowa College Championships in 1918, scoring 25 team points himself.

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF), a non-profit organization created to support and promote high school-age track and field, announced the inaugural class of the new National High School Track and Field Hall of Fame on March 8, 2018 at the New York Athletic Club. Featuring the sport’s immortal legends like Solomon Butler, Jesse Owens and Jim Ryun, to all-time greats like Steve Prefontaine and Mary Decker Slaney, to current Olympic superstar Allyson Felix -- the inaugural class will feature 30 athletes, coaches and contributors spanning 11 decades of excellence in high school track and field.

“Our goal in creating a hall of fame for high school track and field is to honor the greatest athletes, coaches, innovators and contributors in high school track and field history,” said James Spier, Executive Director of the NSAF. “The inaugural class of athletes, coaches, and contributors includes icons of the sport and each of these individuals has made a lasting impact on high school track and field. Generations of athletes have been inspired by and have benefited from their historic accomplishments.”

2020 USTFCCCCA National Rankings Click HERE

2020 USTFCCCA Regional Rankings Click HERE

Track and Field News

Track & Field Travels to NCAA DIII Indoor Championships

Mar 10, 2020

The NCAA announced the qualifiers for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, with the Spartan women qualifying in five events and the men in two.

Track & Field at Last Chance Invites

Mar 7, 2020

The University of Dubuque track and field teams spent the final weekend of qualifying for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at the UW-Platteville Last Chance and Wartburg Last Chance Invites.

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Name	Event	Year	Hometown
Ziad Alshomrani	Sprints	Freshman	Bisha, Saudi Arabia
Keaton Anderson	Sprints	Freshman	Roscoe, Ill.
Mark Biechler	Distance	Sophomore	Apple Valley, Minn.
Duke Boateng	Sprints	Freshman	Chicago, Ill.
Jacob Boyes	Sprints	Freshman	Dubuque, Iowa
Dante Burchfield	Hurdles/Jumps	Senior	Zion, Ill.
Aidan Carr	Throws	Junior	Hampton, Iowa
Tyler Cernohous	Distance	Sophomore	River Falls, Wis.
Cade Collier	Throws	Freshman	Le Claire, Iowa
Maurice Cushion-Lewis	Jumps	Senior	Social Cirlce, Ga.
Bryan Dozier	Throws	Freshman	Fayetteville, NC
Austin Feyen	Throws	Senior	Fond du Lac, Wis.
Noah Forrey	Distance	Senior	Penngrove, Calif.
Tyler Fowler	Hurdles	Senior	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Clayton Hahn	Throws	Sophomore	Clinton, Wis.
Jatavion Hawkins	Jumps	Freshman	Fitchburg, Wis.
Jacob Heitter	Jumps	Senior	Byron, Ill.
Kobe Howell	Sprints	Freshman	Mission Hills, Calif.
Carl Jean	Distance	Senior	Charlotte, NC
Maurice Maiden	Sprints/Hurdles	Freshman	Fairbanks, Alaska
Alexander Maras	Sprints	Junior	Wonder Lake, Ill.
Maximus Martinez	Sprints	Freshman	Grayslake, Ill.
Kyle Mattson	Hurdles	Freshman	Davenport, Iowa
Jordan Morrow	Distance	Freshman	Arlington Heights, Ill.
Zachary Naatz	Throws	Junior	Watertown, Wis.
Michael Orcutt	Distance	Junior	Spring Green, Wis.
Jayden Oshirak	Distance	Sophomore	Ankeny, Iowa
Colfay Pointer	Sprints	Senior	Rochelle, Ill.
Tavian Rumple	Distance	Senior	Mesa, Ariz.
Clayton Spahn	Sprints	Freshman	Dubuque, Iowa
Rei'Shaun Spires	Jumps	Freshman	O'Fallon, Ill.
Jeremiah Steed	Sprints	Junior	Las Vegas, Nev.
Damon Street	Jumps	Freshman	Des Plaines, Ill.
Joseph Tobin	Distance	Senior	Durant, Iowa
Sean Wahlin	Sprints	Freshman	Dodgeville, Wis.
Kodie Willis	Throws	Freshman	Clifton, Ill.
Colton Youngren	Throws	Junior	Princeton, Ill.

For complete men's collegiate University of Dubuque meet results click here for Track & Field Results Reporting System

For complete women's collegiate University of Dubuque meet results click here for Track & Field Results Reporting System

2019-2020 Track and Field Schedules

Indoor
Dec. 6-7	University of Dubuque Battle of the Bluff	Dubuque, IA	TBA
Jan. 18	University of Dubuque Solomon W. Butler Classic	Dubuque, IA	10:30 a.m.
Jan. 24	University of Northern Iowa Jack Jennett Open	Cedar Falls, IA	TBA
Jan. 31- Feb. 1	Wartburg College Wartburg Select	Waverly, IA	10:30 a.m.
Feb. 1	UW-Platteville Pioneer Open	Platteville, WI	11:00 a.m.
Feb. 8	Illinois Wesleyan University Keck D-III Select Invitational	Bloomington, IL	TBA
Feb. 15	UW-Platteville Invitational	Platteville, WI	11:00 a.m.
Feb. 21	University of Dubuque Spartan Invite	Dubuque, IA	3:00 p.m.
Feb. 28-29	American Rivers Conference Championships
	Hosted by Luther College	Decorah, IA	10:00 a.m.
Mar. 6	UW-Platteville Final Qualifing Meet	Platteville, WI	4:00 p.m.
Mar. 7	Wartburg College NCAA Qualifier	Waverly, IA	10:30 a.m.
Mar. 13-14	2019 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships
	JDL Fast Track Hosted by Guilford College	Winston-Salem, N.C.	Canceled

Outdoor
Apr. 4	Cornell College Invitational	Mount Vernon, IA	Canceled
Apr. 9-10	UW-Platteville Invitational	Platteville, WI	Canceled
Apr. 18	University of Dubuque Invite	Dubuque, IA	Canceled
Apr. 25	UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative	Whitewater, WI	Canceled
Apr. 23-25	111th Annual Drake University Relays	Des Moines, IA	Canceled
May 1	Loras College Dr. Tucker Open	Dubuque, IA	Canceled
May 7-9	American Rivers Conference Championships
	Hosted by University of Dubuque	Dubuque, IA	Canceled
May 13-14	North Central College Gregory Invitational	Naperville, IL	Canceled
May 14	UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier	La Crosse, WI	Canceled
May 14	Augustana College Twilight Qualifier	Rock Island, IL	Canceled
May 21-23	2020 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships		Canceled
	Polisseni Track and Field Complex Hosted by St. John Fischer	Rochester, NY

Chad Gunnelson

Director of Track and Field | Cross Country
MMSM, University of Dubuque
BS, University of Dubuque

Phone: 563.589.3860
E-mail: CGunnelson@dbq.edu
Office: 214 Mercer-Birmingham
Fax: 563.589.3425

Biography (Click to Expand )

Chad Gunnelson, now in his ninth season leading the program, is the first coach to lead the Spartans to back-to-back conference titles in over 50 years and their first-ever indoor championship. He was named Coach of the Year by the American Rivers Conference (formerly Iowa Conference) in 2014, 2017, and 2018, and Central Region Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his first eight seasons at the helm, the Spartans have rewritten the record books, breaking 76 different school records in both track & field and cross country.

In 2019, the Spartans achieved their best collective performance on the national stage. The men's and women's program both competed for their share of top 10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships. The men's team placed 9th at the indoor championships and the women's team placed 9th at the outdoor championships. In 2018, the teams completed their best collective conference efforts as the Spartan men claimed their second straight Iowa Conference Championship indoors, a runner-up finish outdoors, the best in over 50 years, and the women set a program record for points at the outdoor championships with 150.33 points.

During Coach Gunnelson's tenure, the Spartans have had 90 NCAA qualifiers, earning 34 All-America honors and 3 National Champions (Blaze Murfin, Outdoor Shot Put, 2018; Tanasha Atwater, Outdoor Shot Put, 2017; Rick Valcin, Outdoor Pole Vault, 2014). The Spartans have crowned 113 conference champions and earned 348 all-conference honors as well during those 8 seasons.

The team has excelled off the track and course as well. The men’s and women’s cross country program has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors for the seventh and tenth consecutive years respectively. The women’s track and field team has won their fifth consecutive USTFCCCA All-Academic award. Each team carries the respective GPAs as of Fall of 2019: men’s cross country – 3.62, women’s cross country – 3.76, men’s track and field – 3.19, women’s track and field – 3.49.

Prior to his arrival at UD, Gunnelson, a native of Madison, Wis., spent six years as the head boy’s and girl’s track & field coach at Madison East High School. At Madison East, Gunnelson coached 22 school record holders and back-to-back state champions in 2010 and 2011. In his final year with the Purgolders, the team earned a 3.24 GPA, had four sectional champions, and placed all four state qualifiers on the podium at the WIAA state meet, including a state champion in the 400 meters.

Along with coaching, Gunnelson was the owner and CEO of Athletic Republic, a sports performance training facility, from 2007 to 2011 where he built Athletic Republic into the largest training facility in the Madison area and trained youth, high school, college, and professional athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey as well as Olympians.

Outside of his duties at UD, Coach Gunnelson is actively involved in the sport of track & field beyond coaching. He serves on the USTFCCCA Division III track & field executive committee, the American Rivers Conference coaches' chair, he is a member of the American Rivers Conference championships sub-committee, and the college coaches’ representative for the Iowa Association of Track Coaches.

Gunnelson currently holds USTFCCCA Specialist Certifications in jumps, endurance, and strength & conditioning. He holds a USATF Level 1 certification and Level 2 sprints, hurdles, relays certification as well. Along with track & field coaching, Gunnelson is a certified performance coach with USA Weightlifting, certified in the Functional Movement Screen, and is a member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association.

Coach Gunnelson loves to pay it forward to the coaching world speaking at high school clinics around the country, coaching at various camps, and presented at the USTFCCCA National Convention. He also instructs the USTFCCCA Track & Field Technical Certification course.

Coach Gunnelson resides in Dubuque, Iowa with his wife Melissa and their children, daughter Taylor, and sons Evan and Dash. They also have two dogs, Willow and Luna.

Track and Field Coaching Record at the University of Dubuque

Conf. Finishes:	Men		Women
Season	Indoor	Outdoor	Indoor	Outdoor
2012	4th	6th	7th	8th
2013	3rd	4th	6th	6th
2014	4th	4th	3rd	5th
2015	3rd	4th	3rd	5th
2016	5th	4th	4th	3rd
2017	1st	4th	4th	4th
2018	1st	2nd	4th	3rd
2019	4th	2nd	4th	4th

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Jake Malm

Assistant Track and Field Coach
Recruiting Coordinator
MAC, University of Dubuque
BS, University of Minnesota

Phone: 563.589.3714
E-mail: MMalm@dbq.edu
Office: 215 Mercer-Birmingham
Fax: 563.589.3425

Biography (Click to Expand )

Jake Malm enters his seventh year coaching the Spartan throwers, a group that has quickly become the most successful in school history.

Under Malm’s leadership, the UD throws group has established a presence at the national level where they’ve led the country in entries to the NCAA Championships over the last three years and claimed two national champions in the shot put: Blaze Murfin outdoors in 2018, and Tanasha Atwater outdoors in 2017. It is also during this period that Malm has been named Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year four times – twice each for the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The 2019 season saw Blaze Murfin capture five more All-American honors (discus, hammer, weight, indoor/outdoor shot put) to bring his career total to 12 and graduate as one of the most decorated throwers in NCAA Division III. Murfin owns the 7th farthest weight throw and 8th farthest indoor shot put throw in NCAA Division III history. On the women’s side, Rebecca Burmahl was the national runner-up in the hammer throw and Caroline Ferguson earned her first All-American award by placing 6th in the shot put at the outdoor championships.

Spartan throwers have also dominated at the conference level, where they’ve led the A-R-C (formerly the Iowa Conference) in scoring every year since 2016 and won ten of twelve throwing events in the 2019 Championships. Spartans own the all-time conference record in men’s and women’s indoor shot put, men’s and women’s weight throw, women’s outdoor shot put, and men’s and women’s hammer throw.

Prior to coming to UD, Malm volunteered at Hamline University during the 2013 season while finishing his degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, Malm competed in the javelin and was a member of three Big Ten Conference championship teams. He currently holds certifications from USATF (Level 2 Throws), USTFCCCA (Throwing Events, Strength and Conditioning), and the NSCA (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). In 2016, Malm was invited to participate in the USATF Emerging Elite Coaches Camp.

Malm is originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota and now resides in Dubuque, Iowa.

Richard Maleniak

Head Cross Country Coach
Assistant Track and Field Coach
MS, Illinois State University
BS, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Phone: 563.589.3310
E-mail: RMaleniak@dbq.edu
Office: 215 Mercer-Birmingham
Fax: 563.589.3425

Biography (Click to Expand )

Rich Maleniak enters his third season with the Spartans and his second season as the head cross country coach. As the assistant track & field coach, he leads the middle distance, distance, and 400-meter runners for the program.

In Coach Maleniak’s first two years, 10 school records were broken in events 400 meters and up. The Spartan men won the Iowa Conference Championship in 2018 with 18 points coming from distance runner Alec Bass who won the 3000 meters and was runner-up in the 5000 meters. He has mentored Colfay Pointer to multiple NCAA Championships appearances, including All-American honors in 2019. Another school record was set in the 4x400m, as the team knocked over four seconds off the record set in 1961, en route to placing 10th at the NCAA Championships.

Prior to UD, Maleniak, a four-time USTFCCCA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year, lead the women’s middle distance and distance runners at the University of St. Thomas (UST) for six seasons. Throughout his tenure at UST, Maleniak helped runners gain conference, regional, and national success in cross country and track and field covering events from 600 to 10,000 meters. At UST, Maleniak coached 29 individuals and relays to MIAC titles and 57 all-conference finishes. On the national level, Maleniak coached athletes to 20 NCAA All-American performances in individual or relay events including back-to-back national titles in the distance medley relay (2015 & 2016) and a national championship in the indoor mile (2016). He has coached four USTFCCCA Regional Athlete-of-the-Year award winners. Maleniak wrote the training and lead the UST women's cross country team to the NCAA Championships for three consecutive seasons (2014-2016). He also coached three individuals to All-American performances at the NCAA DIII Cross Country National Championships.

Before joining the St. Thomas staff in 2012, Maleniak spent the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the cross country and track and field teams at NCAA Division I Illinois State University (ISU). While at ISU, he was responsible for on and off campus recruiting and help implementing workouts for the distance runners.

Maleniak began his college coaching career at UW-Eau Claire as an assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs. Maleniak was in charge of developing workout plans for the 800-meter training group. He coached two NCAA All-Americans and his group set multiple school records. He assisted with the women's cross country team as it improved from placing 12th at the NCAA Championship meet in 2006, to 8th place in 2007, and 5th place in 2008.

Maleniak earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in Chemistry with an emphasis in business in 2002, and earned a master’s degree in Sports Management from Illinois State University in 2011. As a competitor himself, he competed in five national championship competitions and was a 2-time NCAA Division III Track All-American. Maleniak also served as a team captain and was named MVP of the track team after his senior season, while setting the UW-Eau Claire school records in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500-meter run. He holds a U.S.A. Track and Field Level II certification in the Endurance events, and a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Certification.

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Clayton Gray

Graduate Assistant - Track and Field
BS, University of Dubuque

Phone: 563.589.7450
E-mail: CGray@dbq.edu
Office: 302 Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness Center
Fax: 563.589.3425

Biography (Click to Expand )

Clayton Gray (C’18) is a University of Dubuque alum and competed as a sprinter and hurdler for the Spartans. He enters his second season leading the Spartan sprinters in 2019-2020.

As an athlete, Coach Gray was a team captain and an NCAA qualifier in the men’s 4x100m relay team in 2018. He was a member of the Iowa Conference championship 4x100m relay team and a multiple-time All-IIAC performer and Drake Relays qualifier. He is ranked in the top-5 in UD history in the 55m hurdles, 60m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 4x100m relay and is a member of the school record shuttle hurdle relay team.

Gray is certified as a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Coach and has a Level 2 USATF Sprints/Hurdles/Relays endorsement. He is First Aid/CPR/AED certified. Coach Gray is a native of Manchester, Iowa and currently resides in Dubuque. He is currently completing his master's degree in communication.

Jordan Pingel

Graduate Assistant - Track and Field | Cross Country
BA, University of Northern Iowa

Phone: 563.589.7450
E-mail: JPingel@dbq.edu
Office: 302 Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness Center
Fax: 563.589.3425

Biography (Click to Expand )

Jordan Pingel starts his second season with the University of Dubuque cross country and track and field programs in 2019-20. After a successful first year of leading the Spartan horizontal jumps, he will be transitioning to help assist with the middle distance and distance events. As the horizontal jumps coach, Pingel lead multiple athletes to indoor & outdoor conference championships as well as coached a national qualifier in the triple jump.

Prior to UD, Coach Pingel competed at the University of Northern Iowa where he was an All-MVC performer and a contributor to the Panthers MVC Championship in 2018. Pingel earned his degree in Kinesiology at UNI and was also honored as a scholar-athlete for the Panthers.

Pingel, a native of Pella, Iowa, now resides in Dubuque where he is completing his master's degree in sports management. Coach Pingel is First Aid/CPR/AED certified.

Past Seasons

Select a season for historical information and statistics

2018 Track and Field
2017 Men's Track and Field
2016 Track & Field
2015 Track & Field
2014 Track & Field
2013 Track & Field
2012 Track & Field
2011 Track & Field
2010 Track & Field

Outdoor Summary
History was made as discus specialist, Alex Link, became the second All-American thrower in the history of University of Dubuque men’s track and field and Blaze Murfin earned UD’s first-ever Iowa Conference Field MVP to lead the Spartans and Head Coach Chad Gunnelson to their fourth-straight, fourth-place finish at the IIAC Outdoor Championships.

Murfin won the IIAC shot put and hammer throw and placed third in the discus behind newly minted IIAC Champion, Alex Link, as UD tallied 106 points. The Spartans totaled five IIAC Champions for the third time in the last four seasons and at least 11 IIAC performers for the fourth-straight year.

Both Link and Murfin qualified for the Division III Outdoor National Outdoor Championships in the discus thanks to personal bests at their final meet of the season, the Augustana Last Chance Qualifier. Link finished sixth after setting a new school record by over three feet while Murfin clinched 18th.

Link became UD’s 30th All-American honoree and second male thrower since Keith Graves in 1982.

Senior Kebba Bojang and Alex Schlueter concluded their careers with All-IIAC performances in the triple jump and the pole vault, respectively.

Other Highlights
-Murfin finished season ranked Top-50 nationally in the shot put, hammer throw, and discus
-Murfin was UD’s first IIAC MVP of any kind since Orlando Walton in 2007
-Freshman Isaiah Ellis won the IIAC 200m by 0.01 seconds
-At IIACs, Link won 4th career discus event and avenged runner-up finish in 2015

UD Record Marks
School records - 2
Top-5 - 13
Top-10 - 18

OUTDOOR (*Senior)
NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship Qualifiers
Alex Link (Discus – 7th overall)
Blaze Murfin (Discus – 18th)

Iowa Conference Champions
Blaze Murfin (Shot Put and Hammer Throw) *IIAC Field MVP
Isaiah Ellis (200m)
Charles Jackson III (Triple Jump)
Alex Link (Discus)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
Alec Bass (5000m), Kebba Bojang* (Triple Jump), Jeremy Lawson (High Jump), Blaze Murfin (Discus), Alex Schlueter* (Pole Vault), Blanchard-Gray-Lavatai-Ellis (4x100m)

IIAC Standings
1) Central 176 points
2) Wartburg 153
3) Loras 135
4) UD 106
5) Luther 94
6) Simpson 90
7) Coe 62
8) Buena Vista 38

Seniors
Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump), Isaac Hernandez (Mid-Distance), Payton Nevills (Mid-Distance), Mario-John Otchere (Hammer Throw), David Ploenzke (Student Coach)

2015-16 Academic All-Iowa Conference
Joel Avila - Computer Graphics/Interactive Media
Ames Helzer - Criminal Justice
Jack Lindsay - Flight Operations
Tyler Peugh - Biology

Indoor Summary
Head Coach Chad Gunnelson and the University of Dubuque men’s track and field crowned three Iowa Conference champions and eight All-IIAC performers in fifth-place showing at IIAC Championships hosted by Wartburg.

It was UD’s fifth-straight, Top-5 showing at IIAC indoor championships and the fourth-straight season with at least two IIAC champions and six All-IIAC performers.

Freshman standout Blaze Murfin, who finished 10th overall in the weight throw at Nationals, was one of three IIAC champs, including first-time winners in seniors Nicholas Kazmierczak in the pole vault and Mario-John Otchere in the weight throw.

Murfin also placed runner-up in the weight throw behind Otchere as the pair led a Spartan men’s and women’s throwing contingent that racked up three combined wins and 11 Top-6 performances.

Sophomore distance specialist, Alec Bass, finished second in the 3000m by 0.02 seconds in a photo finish. His time of 8:37.45 bested his previous school record by three seconds as he notched his second All-IIAC performance of the meet.

Other Highlights
-Three first-time IIAC champs and four first-time All-IIAC performers
-Bass set school records in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m and crushed previous marks
-Murfin was only freshman to qualify for nationals in weight throw
-Murfin broke 34-year old indoor SP and 13-year old indoor WT school record

UD Record Marks
School records - 8
Top-5 - 19
Top-10 - 34

INDOOR (*Senior)
NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship Qualifiers
Blaze Murfin (Weight Throw – 10th overall)

Iowa Conference Champions
Nicholas Kazmierczak (Pole Vault)
Blaze Murfin (Shot Put)
Mario-John Otchere (Weight Throw)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
Alec Bass (3000m and 5000m), Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump), Murfin (Weight Throw), Kortez Pickett (High Jump)

IIAC Team Standings
1. Central 148 points
2. Wartburg 127.5
3. Simpson 100
4. Loras 99
5. UD 98.5
6. Coe 65
7. Buena Vista 55
8. Luther 48

The University of Dubuque men’s track and field team produced 11 school records, three National Qualifiers, one Iowa Conference Most Valuable Performer, 10 Iowa Conference Champions, one Iowa Conference record, and 11 All-IIAC performances as the Spartans finished third indoors with a school record of 131 points and fourth outdoors at the Iowa Conference Championships.

INDOOR
Freshman Ernest Winters claimed the Iowa Conference Most Valuable Track Performer after winning the 60m, 400m, and 4x200m relay and set a new UD school record in each to lead the University of Dubuque men’s track team to a record-breaking 131 points and a third-place showing at the Iowa Conference Indoor Championships (hosted by Wartburg).

Winters’ three titles, four other victories, and the addition of two other school records over the weekend gave the Spartans a school record of 131 points, 24 more than their previous record set in 2013.

Along with Winters, sophomore DuVaun Goodlow qualified himself for the 2015 Division III Indoor National Championships thanks to a school record leap of 6’9.5” in the high jump en route to winning his first IIAC crown.

Goodlow, seeded 10th nationally, placed ninth overall in the high jump at the Division III Indoor National Championships with a hop of 6’8.0.25” while Winters placed 12th overall in the 60m (6.93), and pulled out of the 200m race due to injury.

Sprinters ruled the IIAC Championships as Winters and the Spartans took first, third (senior Kyle Williams), and fifth (freshman DeShond Robinson) in the 60m finals and placed first, fourth (Robinson), and seventh (sophomore Daniel Casanova) in the 200m finals. Robinson also added a victory in the 400m (49.65).

Senior Tyler Dobratz won his first-ever IIAC indoor heptathlon title in a school record of 4750 points, outdistancing the field by 62 points. The former tight end on the UD football team added to his multi-event resume after securing the 2014 Iowa Conference outdoor decathlon title.

Over the course of the year, the Spartans set a total of nine indoor school records including a distance double (Mile and 5000m) by freshman Alec Bass.

OUTDOOR
Defending outdoor pole vault national champion, senior Rick Valcin, made his mark at the conference level after breaking a 25-year old pole vault record with a vault of 4.95m/16’2.75” to defend his Iowa Conference outdoor title. Valcin also placed second in the 4x100m relay (41.83) with the help of Reggie Cole, Kyle Williams, and Deshond Robinson and finished third in the 100m (10.89) to lead the Spartans to a fourth-place finish at the 2015 Iowa Conference Outdoor Championships.

Valcin, a senior, qualified for the Division III Outdoor National Championships, but struggled with a recurring injury and ended up no heighting.

DuVaun Goodlow picked up the IIAC Outdoor high jump title with a leap of 6’7.5” and the Spartans collected eight All-IIAC performances in tallying 95.5 points over the three-day meet hosted by Simpson College.

In a rare occurrence, junior Payton Nevills delivered UD’s first All-IIAC performance in a distance event (1500m or further) since 1986 when Brian Stephens placed third in the 10000m run.

Freshman Alex Link earned his first All-IIAC performance with a second-place showing in the discus throw (45.04m/147’9”) adding to a resume that featured a school record toss of 47.58m/156’1.5” set earlier in the season. The 47.58m mark made him the second-best, discus-throwing freshman in the country.

Link and the Spartan crew racked up four school records during the outdoor season.

INDOOR (*denotes senior)
Iowa Conference Track Most Valuable Performer
Ernest Winters

Iowa Conference Champions
Ernest Winters (60m, 200m, 4x200m relay)
DeShond Robinson (400m, 4x200m relay)
Nick Kazmierczak (Pole Vault)
*Tyler Dobratz (Heptathlon)
DuVaun Goodlow (High Jump)
Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump)
Joe Miggins (4x200m relay)
Hurshel Ross (4x200m relay)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
*Tyler Dobratz (Pole Vault), *Kyle Williams (60m), Hurshel Ross-Joe Miggins-Jamey Foster-Andy Sierra (4x400m relay)

UD Indoor School Records
Ernest Winters (60m | 6.89 and 200m | 22.00)
Alec Bass (Mile | 4:23.07 and 5000m | 15:34.96)
DuVaun Goodlow (High Jump | 2.07m/6’9.5”)
*Tyler Dobratz (Heptathlon | 4,750 points)
Ernest Winters-Joe Miggins-Hurshel Ross-DeShond Robinson (4x200m relay | 1:29.19)
Jamey Foster-Andy Sierra-Hurshel Ross-Joe Miggins (4x400m relay | 3:25.63)
Remington Meggers-Serigne Sarr-Aaron Ofosu-Jack Lindsay (4x800m relay | 8:13.93)

OUTDOOR (*denotes senior)
NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championship Qualifiers
*Rick Valcin (Pole Vault – 20th overall)

Iowa Conference Champions
DuVaun Goodlow (High Jump)
*Rick Valcin (Pole Vault)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
*Tyler Dobratz (Decathlon), Alex Link (Discus), Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump), Mario-John Otchere (Hammer Throw), Rick Valcin (100m), Payton Nevills (3000m Steeplechase), DeShond Robinson (200m), Reggie Cole-*Rick Valcin-*Kyle Williams-DeShond Robinson (4x100m relay)

UD Outdoor School Records
Alex Link (Discus | 47.58m/156’1.5”)
Mario-John Otchere (Hammer Throw | 50.61m/166’0.75”)
Payton Nevills (3000m Steeplechase | 9:32.65)
Remington Meggers-Aaron Ofosu-Serigne Sarr-Jon Berland (4x800m relay | 7:59.11)

Iowa Conference All-Academic
Tyler Dobratz, Alexander Eckes, Jeremy Lawson, Remington Meggers, Tyler Peugh, David Ploenzke

Pole vaulter Rick Valcin etched his name in the University of Dubuque men's track and field record books after winning UD's only outdoor National Championship, placing runner-up at the indoor National Championships, claiming both IIAC indoor and outdoor titles, and earning four other All-IIAC sprinting performances in leading the Spartans to a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Iowa Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

INDOOR
Rick Valcin etched his name in the UD history books after placing runner-up at the NCAA Division III National meet and securing the Iowa Conference pole vault title in leading the University of Dubuque track and field team to a fourth-place at the Iowa Conference Indoor Championships hosted by Luther College.

The Spartans racked up 99 points as Wartburg took home the team title with 188 points.

It was a nail-biting finish at the the NCAA Division III National meet as Valcin narrowly missed at 4.95m. It resulted in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at 16'00.75"/4.90m as the National Title was decided on total number of misses. The winner missed only three times as Valcin ended up runner-up with a total of four misses. It was the Spartans first indoor All-American since 2012 when Davivorn Dowe placed eighth in the 60m.

Valcin won his first career Iowa Conference Indoor pole vault title in a school record of 16'8.75". The Catries, St. Lucia native also added All-Iowa Conference performances in the 200m (22.91) and the 4x200m relay with Kyle Williams, Andy Sierra, and Ryan Mattingly. Williams snagged a title of his own after beating out Valcin in the 200m and won the individual title with a time of 22.69. The dynamic duo placed third (Williams in 6.64) and fifth (Valcin in 6.69) in the 55m dash. Valcin entered the 55m with the top qualifying time of 6.53.

The Spartans were aided by three other All-IIAC finishes by Nicholas Kazmierczak (Pole Vault), Antwone Lindsey (Triple Jump), and Evan Zurbuchen (55m hurdles).

Overall, four indoor school records were broken throughout the season.

OUTDOOR
Valcin avenged an 2014 NCAA indoor defeat in the pole vault to win the 2014 NCAA Championship at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships. The junior would add to his Iowa Conference outdoor titles in the 100m and the pole vault to push the University of Dubuque men's track and field team to a fourth-place showing at the Iowa Conference Outdoor Championships with a school record of 121 points.

The Spartans' 121 points slipped by their 2013 outdoor total of 117 points, but yielded to IIAC Champion Wartburg who racked up 231 points.

Another tie, but a different result for Valcin at Nationals. The Catries, St. Lucia native tied the Univ. of Chicago pole vaulter who beat Valcin at Indoor Nationals with six misses leading up to 16'8.75". A jump-off ensued with Valcin clearing the winning height of 16'10.75" on his first attempt to bring the 2015 Outdoor Pole Vaul National Championship to Dubuque.

It was the first outdoor National Championship in school history and first outdoor All-American honor for UD since 2012 when Davivorn Dowe placed sixth in the 100m.

Valcin took home the IIAC pole vault title with ease after landing a 4.55m/14'11" to outdistance the field by nearly six inches. Valcin won the 100m (10.85) as teammate Kyle Williams placed third in a time of 10.95. Williams outdid Valcin in the 200m as the duo placed second (22.12) and third (22.15), respectively. The pair would team up to finish All-Iowa Conference in the 4x100m relay with the help of Andy Sierra and Ryan Mattingly. Mattingly added an All-IIAC performance in the 400m.

Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump), Tyler Dobratz (Decathlon), and Evan Zurbuchen (400m hurdles) claimed UD's other IIAC titles. Zurbuchen also placed All-IIAC in the 100m hurdles and set a new 400m hurdle IIAC Outdoor Championship record after crossing the line in 53.13, a mere 0.03 seconds ahead of the old record set in 2004.

A total of three outdoor school records fell during the season.

INDOOR
NCAA Division III National Runner-Up
Rick Valcin (Pole Vault)

Iowa Conference Champions
Rick Valcin (Pole Vault)
Kyle Williams (200m)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
Nicholas Kazmierczak (Pole Vault), Antwone Lindsey (Triple Jump), Evan Zurbuchen (55m hurdles), Ryan Mattingly-Andy Sierra-Rick Valcin-Kyle Williams (4x200m relay), Rick Valcin (200m), Kyle Williams (55m)

UD Indoor School Records
Payton Nevills (Mile | 4:29.65)
Rick Valcin (Pole Vault | 16'8.75")
Rick Valcin-Andy Sierra-Remington Meggers-Ryan Mattingly (4x400m relay | 3:27.26)
Remington Meggers-Tyler Miller-Jordan Murray-Hughes (4x800m relay | 8:22.36)

OUTDOOR
NCAA Division III National Champion
Rick Valcin (Pole Vault)

Iowa Conference Champions
Rick Valcin (100m and Pole Vault)
Kebba Bojang (Triple Jump)
Evan Zurbuchen (400m Hurdles)
Tyler Dobratz (Decathlon)

All-IIAC Conference (Top-3 Finish)
Andy Sierra-Kyle Williams-Rick Valcin-Evan Zurbuchen (4x100m relay), Kyle Williams (100m and 200m), Ryan Mattingly (400m), Rick Valcin (200m), Evan Zurbuchen (100m hurdles)

UD Outdoor School Records
Evan Zurbuchen (400m hurdles | 53.13)
Conner Hirt (Hammer Throw | 157'6.0")
Tyler Dobratz (Decathlon | 6155 points)

Iowa Conference All-Academic
Zach Ahrens, Tyler Dobratz, Alexander Eckes, Ryan Mattingly, Tyler Peugh, David Ploenzke, Evan Zurbuchen

2013 Men's Track & Field Team Roster

Zach Ahrens, John Bamberg, Kebba Bojang, Corey Broussard, Blair Burdt, Andrew Burr, JaVaughn Busch, Jeremiah Camp, Ben Clark, Tyler Dobratz, Tyrone Galvin, Peter Hager, Payton Hanson, Conner Hirt, Phillip Jones, Dantrell Kelley, Antwone Lindsey, Ryan Mattingly, DeVante Miller, Derek Moorman, Jordan Murray, Payton Nevills, Mario-John Otchere, Tyler Peugh, Temwa Phiri, Bryson Pitts, David Ploenzke, Malcolm Pope, Jason Rice, Javier Rodriguez, Evan Rossing, Cole Ryan, Everett Schwer, Andy Sierra, Joe Spencer, Joe Swedenhjelm, Brant Wade, Christopher Watson, Kyle Williams, Magnus Yancy, and Evan Zurbuchen.

Season Overview

The University of Dubuque Men's Track and Field team finished in third place with 107 points at the 2013 Iowa Conference Indoor Championships and fourth place with 117 points at the IIAC Outdoor Championships for head coach Chad Gunnelson.

INDOORS: The Spartans claimed two IIAC with senior Phillip Jones winning the 55m Dash and freshman Kevin Jamison winning the Triple Jump. Freshman Corey Broussard took second in the 55m Dash to give UD a 1-2 finish in the event. Sophomore Tyler Dobratz took third in the Heptathlon, setting a new UD record in the process. Freshman Tyrone Galvin (Long Jump) and Joe Spencer (Pole Vault) also finished in third place to give Dubuque six All-Iowa Conference performers.

OUTDOORS: UD once again claimed two IIAC titles with Broussard winning the 100m Dash and Broussard, Galvin, Jones, and Payton Hanson taking first place in the 4x100m Relay. Jones and Galvin finished behind Broussard in the 100m Dash to go 1-2-3 in the event. Dobratz took second in the Decathlon with wins in the Discus, Shot Put, and Long Jump on his way to a school record 5,910 points. Jones also took second in the 200m dash. Sophomore Christopher Watson earned all-conference in the High Jump and Long Jump with third place finishes. Spencer repeated as All-IIAC with his third place finish in the Pole Vault. Sophomore Antwone Lindsey took third place in the Triple Jump. Junior Evan Zurbuchen was the Spartans 14th All-IIAC honoree with his third place finish in the 110m Hurdles. Broussard (100m Dash) and Watson (High Jump) were each chosen to compete at the NCAA DIII National Championships.

SCHOOL RECORDS:
Indoors: Dobratz-Heptathlon, Broussard-60m Dash, 4x400m Relay, and 4x800m Relay.
Outdoors: Dobratz-Decathlon, 4x800m Relay.

Zach Ahrens, Tyler Dobratz, Peter Hager, Joe Swedenhjelm, and Evan Zurbuchen earned Academic All-Iowa Conference honors. Dobratz and Zurbuchen were named First Team Captial One/CoSIDA Academic All-District.

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