Seven Wins Propel Men's Track and Field to Runner Up Finish
Apr 18, 2015
2015 UD Invite FINAL RESULTS
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Ernest Winters (100m), Deshond Robinson (400m), and Rick Valcin (pole vault) each earned an individual win then combined for a victory in the 4x100m relay and thrower Alex Link wins the discus with a school record toss to lead the University of Dubuque men's track and field team to a runner-up performance at the UD Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans accumulated 142.5 points and placed second to rival Loras (217.5 points). The pair outpaced the rest of the nine-team field by over 41 points.
Winters earned his second 100m win of the outdoor season in 10.83 and outran the field by 0.4 seconds. Robinson captured his first 400m victory of the outdoor season after his 49.58. Valcin cleared 5.10m/16'18.75" to win the pole vault for the first time in 2015. Valcin's effort ranks fourth in the nation.
The threesome combined with senior Kyle Williams to win the 4x100m relay in a time of 41.84. The blazing time ranks 21st in the nation.
The trio led a seven-win effort for the Spartans as Kebba Bojang also won the triple jump (14.39m/47'2.5") and placed fifth in the long jump with a personal best of 6.44m/21'1.5". Bojang's triple jump effort ranks 11th nationally.
DuVaun Goodlow secured the sixth win for the Spartans in the high jump with a leap of 2.03m/6'8". Goodlow's hop currently sits 18th overall nationally and leads the Iowa Conference.
Alex Link bested the field by over 4'6" in a school record throw of 47.58m/156'1". His toss currently ranks 25th in the nation.
Alex Schlueter followed up Valcin in the pole vault with a fourth-place finish while Colby Rattenborg placed second in the long jump with a leap of 6.72m/22'0.75".
Rounding out the running events was Marcus Weathers, who turned in a third place showing in the 200m (22.73m), Jack Lindsay, who placed fourth in the 5000m (17:00.58), and Remington Meggers, who garnered fifth-place in the 800m (2:00.14).
For the throwers, Mario-John Otchere earned runner up in the hammer throw with a toss of 46.68m/153'2" and senior Conner Hirt finished third (45.10m/147'11").
John Gregory paced the Spartans in the javelin throw with a toss of 45.65m/149'9".
As a group, the men's and women's throwers combined to set 18 personal records.
DOBRATZ: Senior Tyler Dobratz, the 2015 IIAC Indoor Heptathlon Champion, was the lone Spartan to compete at the Augustana College Meet of Champions in Rock Island, Ill. on April 18. The Edgerton, Wis. native finished second overall, losing to an unattached competitor, with 6071 points in the decathlon. His point toal leads the IIAC and sits 12th overall in the nation.
Qualified Spartans will travel to Des Moines for the Drake Relays next Friday-Saturday while others will make the trip across town to the Loras Open on Saturday, April 25.
