By Carly Fehler, UWEC Sports Information
DES MOINES, IA (Blugolds.com) The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire track and field teams split up this weekend for different meets, but the weather conditions were the same: cold, blustery, and raining. Despite the difficult weather, there were some very promising moments that bode well as the teams enter the championship stretch of their season.
Drake Relays Results | Saint Mary's Results
In Des Moines at the Drake Relays, the women had two impressive days. The 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays both qualified for the final on Saturday, and came back with even better performances.
The women's 4x100 team of Kelsey Worachek (Jr. – Appleton, WI/Xavier), Claire Fischer (So. – Appleton, WI/North), Ashleigh Buergi (Jr. – Green Bay/Bay Port), and Jessie Reineck (Sr. – Greenville, WI/Fox Valley Lutheran) finished fifth overall—beating Division II programs and finishing as the top ranked Division III team with a time of 46.93. They currently sit second in the country for DIII.
The women's 4x400 meter relay of Reineck, Buergi, Sarah Glidden's (Sr. – Greenville, WI/Hortonville), and Jess Rupnow (Sr. – Sussex, WI/Sussex-Hamilton) delivered an even more impressive performance in the final of Saturday—they ran 3:46.25 to finish third at the Drake Relays—and also finished as the top ranked Division III team and beating a variety of Division II programs. They were just .8 out of first place in a very close race. They are currently second in the national rankings for Division III.
The men's relays at Drake had solid performances. The 4x100 meter relay team of DJ Meagher (Sr. Onalaska, WI/Holmen), Brandon Christnovich (So. – Holmen, WI), KJ Munn (Fr. – Bayport, MN/St. Croix Prep Academy), and Aaron Zmolek (Fr. – Holmen, WI) finished 13th in the prelims with a time 42.81. The 4x400 meter relay team of Zmolek, Christnovich, Hunter Henk (Fr. – Beldenville, WI/River Falls), and Jimmy Paske (Sr. – Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins) ran 3:17.37 to finish 9th, the first spot out of the final.
In Winona at the Saint Mary's Open, the Blugolds battled those same cold and rainy conditions.
A few bright spots included a win by JoHannah Theisen (Jr. – Eau Claire, WI/Regis) in the shot put, with a mark of 13.49 meters. She is currently sitting 16th in the country.
The 4x100 meter relay 'B' team of Logan Fahey (Fr. – Belleville, WI), Lakyn Kummer (Fr. – Medford, WI), Abbey Finnegan (Fr. – Pewaukee, WI/Catholic Memorial), and Paige Reynolds (So. – White Bear Lake, MN) won with a time of 50.24.
Fahey was the runner up in the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 12.83, while Kummer was second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.40.
Lizz Ottusch (So. – Delafield, WI/Kettle Moraine) was third in the high jump with a clearance of 1.56 meters. Josie Burns (Jr. – Saint Michael, MN/Saint Michael-Albertville) was also third in the hammer, with a mark of 46.55 meters.
On the men's side, Matt Dietlin (Sr. – Fitchburg, WI/Verona) led the pack, winning the high jump with a clearance of 1.96. He also won the pole vault, with a personal record of 4.78, which also set a new Blugold record.
Connor Drexler (Sr. – Baraboo, WI) placed third in the 200 meter dash in a time of 22.23, while Kyle Groven (Fr. – Pine Island, MN) was third in the 400 with time of 50.77.
Freshman Alex Winn (Fr. – Kingston, WA) was third in the 1500 meter run, in a time of 4:04.12.
Alex Schutt (So. – Cameron, MN) was second in the long jump, with a mark of 6.65 meters, while TJ Lui (Fr. – Dousman, WI/Kettle Moraine) was second in the triple jump, marking a 13.52 meter jump.
David Kornack (Jr. – Edgar, WI) was second in the discus with a mark of 44.16 and third in the shot put with a mark of 14.83 meters.
The Blugolds head to UW-Platteville Thursday night as competition for the 2017 Outdoor WIAC Conference Championships begins on Friday, with most finals being contested on Saturday. It will be a great indicated of what is to come for the teams, with the national meet being just three weeks away.
