Drachman Stadium, which has undergone about $2 million in renovations in recent months, has reopened. It hosted high school and junior high track meets last week, as well as the UA-ASU dual meet two weeks ago.
Arizona's newly renovated Drachman Stadium April 11, 2026.
Now it prepares for the May 14-16 Big 12 Championships, which will unofficially be a celebration of America's best decathletes of the last 50 years. Every men's decathlon champion from 1983-95 is scheduled to be in Tucson for the weekend.
On the weekend of the Big 12 meet, former UA jumps/decathlete coach Sheldon Blockburger will be hosting 30 of the nation's most prominent decathletes, including Caitlyn Jenner, who won a 1976 Olympic gold medal as Bruce Jenner, and former Arizona NCAA champions Jake Arnold and Derek Huff, as well as UA All-American Dominic Johnson.
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Blockburger was UA's assistant coach from 2005-2015, a period in which he coached NCAA high jump champions Liz Patterson and Brigetta Barrett. Tucson is a fitting spot for a decathlete reunion. Not only did ex-Wildcats Arnold and Huff win national titles, so did Klaus Ambrosch, with Pau Tonnesen and Steve Jacobs finishing second. Blockburger was an All-American decathlete at LSU in 1987.
Blockburger's son, Johnnie Blockburger, a state champion in the 200 and 400 meters at Tucson High in 2019, and the UA record holder at 400 meters, will return to Tucson this coming weekend for the Desert Heat Classic. Blockburger, who won four Pac-12 titles in the 400 meters while at Arizona and USC, has recently run a 10.1 time in the 100 meters while preparing for the USA Championships.
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