STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire men's indoor track and field team secured five event victories competing at UW-Stevens Point's Last Chance meet Saturday.
In the 400-meter dash, Thurgood Dennis (Fr.-Allouez, Wis./Green Bay Notre Dame) won with a time of 49 seconds, a new school record and the fifth best time in the nation this year. He broke a record of 49.03 seconds, which Cody Prince (Fr.-Appleton, Wis./North) set only one week ago at the WIAC Championship. Prior to that, the old event record stood since 1993.
Aaron Easker (Jr.-Eland, Wis./Wittenberg-Birnamwood) won the one-mile run with a time of 4:15.00, nearly two seconds in front of the rest of the field.
The 4x400-meter relay team of Marty Richardson (Sr.-Appleton, Wis./Kimberly), Dennis, Jacob Dennis-Oehling (So.-Whitewater, Wis.) and Prince won with a time of 3:16.76, more than a second ahead of the second place finisher. The time was the second fastest time in the nation this year and a new school record. The previous school record was 3:18.17, set in 1990.
In the field, Joe Lilek (Sr.-Tomahawk, Wis.) won the shot put with a toss of 16.26 meters (53-4.25) while Tyler Genovese (Sr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) took first in the weight throw with a distance of 18.77 meters (61-7).
Next weekend the Blugolds will compete in the two-day 2012 NCAA Division III Championship in Grinnell, Iowa. Competition gets underway Friday at noon.
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