T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Northern Iowa freshman Deonté Dean, left, carries the baton down the homestretch on the anchor leg of the Panthers’ 4x100-meter relay on Saturday at the Drake Relays in Des Moines. UNI finished second to Minnesota in the event.

DES MOINES — Deonté Dean showed this weekend that finding success in hard work has no ZIP code.

The Marshalltown High School alum was the anchor on the University of Northern Iowa’s 4×100-meter men’s relay that reached the finals at the Drake Relays in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers were second in the finals in 39.98, following a 39.90 mark in the prelims that stands as the second-fastest performance of the 4×100 in school history.

Tinashe Chigudu, Luke Meyers, Isaiah Trousil and Dean passed the baton around for the lap on the Blue Oval. The second time around, they did it in a steady rain.

“We did what we could, conditions permitted,” Dean said. “But no excuses — we’re ready to get it after it. We’ve got a group of very young talent here and I’m excited for the conference meet.”

Minnesota won the finals in 39.30. Indiana State, the only team other than the Golden Gophers to run faster in the prelims on Friday, did not compete in the finals. Dean sees the Sycamores, along with Illinois State, as the primary competition for the Panthers at the MVC Outdoor Conference Championships in less than two weeks in Normal, Illinois.

“It’s a good opportunity to run here and get some more reps in, but we’ve got more work to do — back to the lab,” Dean said. “We’ll all watch film, clean up whatever we need to do. Everything matters, all the little things.”

Dean was also 18th in the 100-meter prelims in 10.76.

While the 4×100 quartet will be looking to make some noise in the coming weeks, Dean hasn’t lost sight of his past with the Bobcats.

“Coming through Marshalltown, it’s easy to sit there and say ‘Oh, there’s no future ahead,'” Dean said. “But I want to be a face for kids and show them that they can do it. And God’s brought me a long way. … I’m just hungry for more to be able to represent in new colors, but also to remember my past colors.”