Theres some pretty rich history behind the quest Dave Grzesiak will undertake today when the NCAA outdoor track and field championships begin in Des Moines, Iowa.

Grzesiak, a senior from Brookfield, owns the third-best effort in the decathlon in University of Wisconsin mens history with 7,832 points. The two guys ahead of him offer similar tales of inspiration for the next three days.

James Dunkleberger, from Lake Mills, set the record with 7,924 points en route to winning the 10-discipline event at the NCAA outdoor meet in 1997.

Joe Detmer, from Lodi, broke that standard with 7,963 points on the way to finishing second in the decathlon at the NCAA outdoor meet in 2007.

In other words, two guys from the state, in their final meets as UW seniors, put up enduring performances.

Grzesiak knows Detmer but has never met Dunkleberger. If there is a trickledown effect its that Grzesiak isnt focused on history as much as the moment at hand at Drake Stadium.

I guess its a weird feeling, he said of his final collegiate meet. Its not going to hit me until its actually over.

Grzesiak has the eighth-best qualifying score which would put him on the podium and secure him All-America honors for the first time outdoors and is in good shape to earn a berth in the U.S. Olympic Trials June 21 to July 1 in Eugene, Ore.

Ive been doing this for five years and the daily grind of it comes to a halt pretty quickly once Im done, he said. Its not something Im really looking forward to, but I guess this journey has kind of ended for me and Im happy that Ive had it.

Grzesiak is one of 15 qualifiers from UW for the national meet eight women, seven men with a heavy dose of interest in the multi-events.

More here:
NCAA men's track: Badgers' Grzesiak has blueprint for decathlon success