STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's track & field teams secured five conference titles at the 2013 WIAC Championships, held Friday and Saturday in Stevens Point.
As a team, the Blugold men finished in third place for the second year in a row, while the women took fourth. UW-La Crosse won both the men's and women's team titles.
Thurgood Dennis (So.-Allouez, Wis./Green Bay Notre Dame) led the Blugolds as he captured two conference crowns. He won the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.79 seconds, a WIAC meet and school record. He broke the school record just one weekend ago as well with a time of 6.80 seconds at the UW-Stevens Point Eastbay Invite. Dennis also won the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.93. It was the second year in a row he won both titles.
Aaron Easker (Sr.-Eland, Wis./Wittenberg-Birnamwood) set a conference meet record as he won the 5,000-meter run WIAC title with a time of 14:24.44. It was the third year in a row a Blugold won the event as Thomas Breitbach took first in both 2011 and 2012.
The men's 4x200-meter relay team also won the conference crown as it came in with a time of 1:29.31. Competing on the Blugolds' winning relay team was Dennis, Cody Prince (So.-Appleton, Wis./North), Seth Friedrich (Jr.-Pine Island, Minn.) and Joe Makeever (So.-Appleton, Wis./North).
For the women, Erin Schoenfelder (Sr.-Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community) led the Blugolds as she won the 60-meter hurdles conference crown. She finished the race with a time of 8.87 seconds, a school record. The previous school record was 9.00 seconds, set Feb. 25, 2012 by Kim Miresse.
Additionally, two school records were set at the conference championships.
In the men's heptathlon, Brandon Zarnoth (So.-Appleton, Wis./North) took second place with 4,895 points. The previous school record was 4,804, achieved Feb. 25, 2012 by Bart Mestelle. Patrick Swanson (Sr.-Hastings, Minn.) was fourth in the event with 4,629 points.
The women's 4x200-meter relay team of Megan Mulligan (So.-Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger), Jessie Reineck (Fr.-Greenville, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran), Brooke Patterson (So.-Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) and Lindsey Laufenberg (So.-Waunakee, Wis.) set a school record of 1:43.11 as they came in second place. The previos record was 1:43.29, set on Feb. 25, 2012.
At the conclusion of the WIAC Championship, Easker and Ashlyn Mauer (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) were named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team, which was selected for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school.
Next weekend, the Blugolds will be back in Stevens Point for the UWSP Last Chance meet. Action gets underway Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
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