OSHKOSH, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – After two days of competition at the 2014 WIAC Championships, the UW-Eau Claire men's and women's outdoor track & field teams combined to win five conference titles at Titan Stadium.
The Blugold women, who finished in third place as a team, won two titles while the men, who came in fourth place, won three titles.
Friday, Katryna Williams (So.-Watertown, Wis.) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:12.73. It was the second year in a row and fourth time in history a Blugold won the event.
The women's 4x100-meter relay team of Kayla Kelsey (Jr.-Sparta, Wis.), Megan Mulligan (Jr.-Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger), Lindsey Laufenberg (Jr.-Waunakee, Wis.) and Carly Fehler (Jr.-Oak Creek, Wis.) took first with a time of 47.67 seconds. It was the first time in history the Blugolds won the 4x100-meter relay.
For the men, Thurgood Dennis (Jr.-Allouez, Wis./Green Bay Notre Dame) captured the 100-meter dash title with a time of 10.27 seconds, a school, facility and conference meet record. It was the third straight year Dennis won the event.
The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Brandon Zarnoth (Jr.-Appleton, Wis./North), Cory White (Jr.-Tomah, Wis.), Matt Hartje (Jr.-Reedsburg, Wis.) and Dennis also won a title with a time of 41.50 seconds. It was the first time since 1990 Eau Claire won the event.
In the field, Roger Steen (Jr.-Luck, Wis.) took the top spot in the shot put with a toss of 17.62 meters (57-9.75). It was the seventh time in history and the first time since 2008 a Blugold won the event.
As a team, the Blugold women scored 104.5 points while UW-La Crosse won the conference title, its third straight, with 232. The Blugold men finished with 102 points while UW-La Crosse won its 24th consecutive with 215.
At the conclusion of the championship, Matt Scott (Sr.-Kiel, Wis.) and Alana Jenkins (Jr.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) were named the All-Sportsmanship Teams.
Over the next few weeks, the Blugolds will have several last chance meets in preparation for the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship, which will be contested May 22-24 at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
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