MENOMONIE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - For the fourth consecutive season, the UW-Eau Claire women's track & field team finished second overall at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, held this weekend at UW-Stout.
The Blugolds racked up 130.50 points to rank second in the team standings. UW-Oshkosh won the team championship with 160 points, its first championship since 2006. UW-La Crosse rounded out the top three by scoring 108.50.
During the two-day event, the Blugolds earned four event championship titles. The team also picked up a total of 10 top-three finishes.
Ashlyn Mauer (So.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) was crowned the champion in the 5,000-meter run. Mauer completed the race in just 18:00.48 to lead the field. Kim Miresse (Jr.-Waukesha, Wis./North) also finished first in the 55-meter hurdles, earning a provisional qualification with a time of 8.32.
Eau Claire's other victories stemmed from the team events. The quartet of Katie Wesely (Fr.-Onalaska, Wis./Aquinas), Talisa Emberts (Jr.-Sussex, Wis./Sussex-Hamilton), Miresse and Corinna Saager (Sr.-Wausau, Wis./East) paced the field with a time of 1:45.70 to win the 4x200 relay. In the distance medley, the team of Maria Peloquin (Sr.-Prescott, Wis.), Halley Ahler (Fr.-Waukesha, Wis./West), Taylor McMillan (So.-Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton ) and Alyssa Sybilrud (Jr.-Savage, Minn./Burnsville) ran a 12:32.04 for the event title.
In addition to the 4x200, Emberts had a strong day in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. Emberts finished second in both events, with respective times of 25.70 and 58.21. Her time in the 400 also met the provisional qualifying mark.
Liz Amici (Sr.-Whitewater, Wis.) finished second in the indoor pentathlon with a total of 3,222 points, a provisional qualifying score. Of the five events, Amici excelled in the shot put and indoor hurdle competitions.
Blugolds finished side-by-side in the 800-meter run. Peloquin and McMillan nabbed third and fourth place finishes, led by Peloquin's time of 2:19.58.
In the field competitions, Hannah Norwick (Fr.-Stockholm, Wis./Pepin) claimed the third spot in the long jump with an attempt of 5.15 meters (16-10.75). In the shot put event, Brittany Frederick (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis./Preble) met a provisional qualifying mark with a throw of 13.24 meters (43-05.25). Lindsey Haller (Jr.-Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) also finished fifth in that event.
Away from the competition, Amici was honored as a member of the conference All-Sportsmanship team. This award is given to athletes who continually demonstrate superior sportsmanship.
With the conference championship in the books, the Blugolds will focus on qualifying for the NCAA Championship in Bexley, Ohio. Team members will compete in the Stevens Point Last Chance event next Saturday in an attempt to make it to the championships the following weekend. The Stevens Point event will begin at 10:30 a.m.
