UD's Dobratz Wins Decathlon at Iowa Conference Outdoor Championships
May 9, 2014 | J.Crane
DECORAH, IOWA - University of Dubuque's Tyler Dobratz (Edgerton, Wis./Edgerton) captured the men's decathlon title at the Iowa Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a school record 6,155 points on Friday afternoon at Carlson Stadium on the campus of Luther College. Dobratz won by 142 points behind first place finishes in the shot put and discus. Nickolette McKenzie (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) earned All-IIAC honors with a runner-up finish in the long jump. The UD men and women are each in fourth place after Day 1.
2014 IIAC Championships - Day 1 Results
Dobratz won the decathlon title behind strong performances in the 100m Dash (750 points), 110m Hurdles (720 pts.), and long jump (693 pts.). He finished in the top five in all ten events en route to breaking his own school record with 6,155 points. The Spartans junior was the runner-up at the 2013 Outdoor Track Championships at Loras.
Evan Zurbuchen (Hollandale, Wis./Madison West) had an outstanding day in the hurdles events by qualifying for the finals in the 110m Hurdles and 400m Hurdles. He is one of three student-athletes to qualify in both events. The senior hurdler set a school record and qualified first in the 400m Hurdles at 53.44 seconds. He also ran a 15.18 in the 110m Hurdles, the third fastest time of the day.
Sprinters Rick Valcin (Catries, St. Lucia/Gros Islet) and Kyle Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom) each advanced the finals of the 100m Dash and 200m Dash. In the 100, Valcin was second at 11.11 while Williams was third at 11.16 seconds. UD qualified first and third in the 200 with Valcin running the fastest time of the day at 22.16 while Williams was third at 22.33 seconds.
The Spartans 4x800m Relay team of Fabiola Ortiz (Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North), Rachael Busjahn (Sobieski, Wis./Pulaski), Kiersten Wenthold (Fort Atkinson, Iowa/South Winn), and Melissa Todman (Ramstein, Germany/Ramstein) set a school record with a time of 9:48.16. Busjahn also qualified for the 400m Dash finals at 57.37 seconds which was the fastest time of the day and second best all-time at UD.
McKenzie, the 2014 IIAC Indoor Long Jump Champion, was second outdoors behind a final jump of 5.19m (17'-0.5"). Alexis Higgins (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) was fifth in the women's high jump.
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