Zach Sanford after winning the discus at the 2025 American Rivers Conference Outdoor Championships. Photo courtesy of University of Dubuque Athletics.
A group of Rochelle Township High School track alumni has been competing for the University of Dubuque Spartans, an NCAA Division III program in the American Rivers Conference. Zach Sanford, Landon Mickley, Richard Pierce, and Jackson Smith all came through the Hubs program and have represented Dubuque on the men's track and field team.
Sanford, a thrower, wrapped up his senior season in 2026. In 2025, he won the American Rivers Conference outdoor discus title with a throw of 160-2 (48.83m) and qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in the shot put. That winter he threw a personal-best 53-9 (16.38m) for fourth at the conference indoor meet, then placed 20th at 48-0.75 (14.65m) at the national meet in Rochester, New York, in his first NCAA appearance. As a senior, he earned USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Region honors in the discus and took third at the conference outdoor championships. His college bests also include 163-0 (49.69m) in the discus and 165-7 (50.47m) in the hammer. He was a repeated USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree and was named to the University of Dubuque fall 2025 dean's list.
Mickley, a junior thrower this year, earned USTFCCCA Indoor All-Region honors in the weight throw last winter and won the event at the Spartan Shootout with a personal-best 60-10.75 (18.56m). He placed fifth in the weight throw at the 2026 American Rivers Conference Indoor Championships. Outdoors, his best hammer throw is 167-4 (51.01m). At Rochelle, he qualified for the 2024 IHSA Class 2A state meet in the shot put and discus.
Pierce and Smith, both sophomore sprinters this season, completed their freshman years at Dubuque in 2026. Pierce ran on Dubuque's 4x100-meter relay that clocked 41.83 at the UW-Platteville Invitational and later won the Rittgers Invitational in 41.90, running with Jaberrius Peake, Matt Haerle, and Alec Zaccaria. Individually, he has run 7.18 in the 60 meters, 11.08 in the 100, and 22.43 in the 200. He also reached the 60-meter final at the Sol Butler Classic, placing eighth.
Smith has competed in the 60, 200, and 400 meters, with college bests of 7.56, 24.63, and 54.61. He ran a leg on the winning 4x400-meter relay at the Loras College Midweek on March 31, 2026, as the Spartans finished in 3:37.01 with Tyler Montag, Zach Baumberger, and Christian Scullark. He was named to the University of Dubuque dean's list for both fall 2025 and spring 2026.
Mickley, Pierce, and Smith are all listed on Dubuque's 2026-27 roster as the indoor season approaches, keeping a Rochelle presence in the Spartan program.
HUBS TRACK