Photo Finish for Bass, Title for Otchere as UD 5th at IIAC Championships
Feb 27, 2016
COMPLETE RESULTS
Day 1 Recap
STORM LAKE, Iowa – Sophomore Alec Bass missed out on his first indoor IIAC title after being out-leaned by 0.02 seconds in the 3000m and Mario-John Otchere won his first weight throw title on the final day as the University of Dubuque men's track and field placed fifth at the Iowa Conference indoor Championships.
The Spartans totaled 98.5 points to place fifth overall as Central took home the team title with 148 points. Three Iowa Conference champions and four other All-IIAC performances led UD to its fifth-straight, Top-5 IIAC indoor finish for the Spartans.
Bass’ time of 8:37.45 reset his 3000m school record by over three seconds in his second runner-up finish of the IIAC Championships. The sophomore lost out to Central’s senior All-American Cole Decker in the photo finish.
Otchere, a senior, saved his best for last with a toss of 17.09m/56-1 and his first career Iowa Conference weight throw title over his freshman teammate Blaze Murfin and the field. It was 5.5” personal record by the Otchere as he outdistanced Murfin’s 17.06m/55-11.75 throw.
Murfin, who won the shot put title a day earlier, notched his second All-IIAC performance in as many days. Murfin and Otchere’s efforts helped the men's and women's throwers win three of the four throwing events and collect 11, Top-6 performances in four events combined between the men and the women.
Senior Kebba Bojang, competing for the first time in two weeks, fell 4.25” short of defending his 2015 IIAC triple jump title in a runner up showing. Bojang finished with a leap of 13.94m/45-9 and currently ranks 16th in the nation with a previous mark of 14.23m/46-8.25 earlier this season.
Freshman Kortez Pickett finished off his successful indoor season with his first All-IIAC honor in a third-place performance in the high jump with a mark of 1.93m/6-4.
The Spartans will head to the UW-Platteville Last Chance meet on Saturday, March 4 followed by the UW-Stevens Point Pointer Qualifier on Sunday, March 5 to improve their national marks and a potential shot at the NCAA Division III Championships on March 11-12 in Grinnell, Iowa.
All-IIAC Performances (IIAC Champion)
Kazmierczak (Pole Vault)
Murfin (Shot Put)
Otchere (Weight Throw)
Murfin (Weight Throw)
Bojang (Triple Jump)
Bass (3000m)
Bass (5000m)
Pickett (High Jump)
Top UD Finishers (*Day 2 Event)
60m – 4th, Najee Toomer (7.09)
200m* - 4th, Isaiah Ellis (22.79)
400m* - None
800m* - None
Mile* - 16th, Hunter Reifschneider (4:47.75)
3000m* - 2nd, Alec Bass (8:37.45)
5000m – 2nd, Alec Bass (14:53.20)
60H – 9th, Clayton Gray (8.79)
4x200m relay – 4th, Weathers, Jr.-Ellis-Lavatai-Kind (1:30.82)
4x400m relay* – 8th, Weathers, Jr.-Lavatai-Mentzer-Ellis (3:31.224)
4x800m relay* - 6th, Klose-Ofosu-Dunlap-Yirkovsky (8:13.81)
DMR – 7th, Klose-Miller-Ofosu-Nevills (10:50.70)
High Jump* - 3rd, Kortez Pickett (1.93m/6-4)
Pole Vault – 1st, Kazmierczak (4.54m/14-10.75)
Long Jump – 6th, Rattenborg (6.58m/21-7.25)
Triple Jump* - 2nd, Kebba Bojang (13.94m/45-9)
Shot Put – 1st, Murfin (15.25m/50-0.5)
Weight Throw* - 1st, Mario-John Otchere (17.09m/56-1)
Heptathlon – None
Final Men’s IIAC 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
