Dunn makes it a double

DES MOINES -- A tenth of a second here. A tenth of a second there.

A half-second to go.

Kyle Dunn made another incremental improvement in the 400-meter hurdles on his way to repeating as the Class 4A boys' champion at the state track meet Friday at Drake Stadium.

He won it, comfortably, in 51.41 seconds.

"I just kind of did my thing," Dunn said, modestly. "I ran the race that my coaches wanted me to run."

A junior, Dunn has another season to pursue Dustin Avey's all-time Iowa best of 50.96. If he continues to shave time as he did this season, it will be a snap. Right now, he stands No. 4 on the all-time Iowa chart.

Dunn won the 400 Thursday, the 400 hurdles today, and goes after the 110-meter hurdles crown Saturday. He ran in 14.46 in Friday's preliminary to earn the top seed for the finals.

"He's done so many things, it speaks about his character as a teammate," said Linn-Mar's Nick Lucas, who ran fourth in the 400 hurdles in 53.97.

Linn-Mar takes the 4A boys' lead into the final day. With 10 of 18 events complete, the Lions have 34 points. Indianola is second with 31.

After Saturday's race, Dunn will move into summer training. He plans to compete in the junior division of the USATF national championships at Drake in late June.

The 400-meter hurdles will be contested at 36 inches instead of the 30 inches they're at for state competition.

"That'll be an adjustment," he said.

Bobby Millard of Iowa City High was the long jump runner-up leaping 21 feet, 10 1/2 inches. Kenny Gilmore of Davenport Central won it at 22-3 3/4.

Cedar Rapids Washington, the Drake Relays champion in the 800-meter relay, settled for third place in that event Friday. The Warriors were timed in 1:28.60.

Burlington won it in 1:27.62.

Washington also finished third in the medley relay, in 3:31.64.

"Our first three legs ran great, and I'm just glad I could bring it home," said anchor Robert Hogg.