Three Blugolds Earn WIAC Athlete of the Week Honors

Three Blugolds Earn WIAC Athlete of the Week Honors

MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - UW-Eau Claire gymnast Liz Stubbs (Jr.-Wayzata, MN), men's swimmer Jake McDade (Sr.-Monona, WI/Monona Grove) and Brandon Zarnoth (Sr.-Appleton, WI/North) of the men's track and field team have been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Athletes of the Week, it was announced today by Assistant Commissioner of Media Relations Matt Stanek.

Stubbs won two events as the Blugolds lost at three-time defending national champion UW-Whitewater 189.600-183.950 on Jan. 31.  She won the balance beam and floor exercise earning scores of 9.575 and 9.650, respectively.  On the vault, Stubbs placed ninth with a score of 9.300.

McDade won two individual events and was the anchor of the first-place 400-yard freestyle relay in a 139-123 dual meet loss to UW-Whitewater on Jan. 31.  McDade won the 500-yard freestyle and 1,000-yard freestyle events posting times of 4:56.95 and 10:15.76 respectively.  His time in the 1,000-yard freestyle was the fastest time posted by McDade this season.  In the 400-yard freestyle relay, he was the anchor for a unit that earned first place with a time of 3:17.39.

Zarnoth won four of seven events to win the heptathlon with a score of 5,339 points at the Warren Bowlus Open hosted by UW-Stout.  Zarnoth won all four field events jumping 6-4 3/4 (1.95 meters) in the high jump, 22-1 3/4 (6.75 meters) in the long jump, clearing 14-7 1/4 (4.45 meters) in the pole vault and throwing 43-1 3/4 (13.15 meters) in the shot put.  Zarnoth finished second in the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles posting times of 7.08 and 8.59 seconds, respectively, while finishing fifth in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:55.30.  Currently Zarnoth ranks first in the nation in the heptathlon with his score which is 100 points more than his next closest competitor.