By Carly Fehler, UWEC Sports Information
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - For what started as a slow weekend for the Blugold track and field teams, it ended with a bang. At the 2017 WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by UW-Platteville, the women finished 2nd with 154.5 points and the men finished 4th in the team rankings with 93 points—with a lot to be excited about as the National meet inches closer.
Women's Results | Men's Results
Senior Jessie Reineck (Sr. – Greenville, WI/Fox Valley Lutheran) commanded the entire weekend—and ended up with four 1st place finishes in the 400 meter dash (55.63), 200 meter dash(24.49), and anchored the 400 meter relay and 1600 meter relays that both won the conference crown. She is currently ranked 6th in the 400 and 7th in the 200 nationally.
The aforementioned 400 meter relay of Kelsey Worachek (Jr. – Appleton, WI/Xavier), Claire Fischer (So. – Appleton, WI/North), Jess Rupnow (Sr. – Sussex, WI/Sussex-Hamilton, and Reineck won in a nation-leading time of 46.73. With two veterans of the 2015 team that captured the national title, this relay is shaping up to make history repeat itself.
The 1600 meter relay team of Ashleigh Buergi (Jr. – Green Bay/Bay Port), Sarah Glidden's (Sr. – Greenville, WI/Hortonville), Rupnow and Reineck also captured the conference crown in a WIAC meet record of 3:45.80. That time is currently second in the country. This team also has three veterans from the 2015 team that won the national title in this event, and are on track to make that happen again in 2017.
Samantha Slattery (So. – Waunakee, WI) won the 5,000 meter run in a time of 17:33.48—beating the next runner by more than 15 seconds. It was an impressive performance by a sophomore with a lot of room to grow.
Glidden, who's battled injuries all season, won the high jump with a clearance of 1.65 meters.
Erica Oawster (So. – Lino Lakes, MN/Centennial) won the discus with a throw of 47.14 meters—a personal record and currently moves her into the fifth spot in Division III. Primed for a big weekend, she rose to the occasion and will be one to watch over the next few weeks.
A variety of second and third place finishes helped to propel the women to an impressive 154.5 point total, including Worachek in a photo-finish 100 meter dash, running a season best of 12.15, and Rupnow finishing second only to her teammate in the 400 meter dash in 56.16. Rupnow was also third in the 200 with a time of 25.42.
Buergi had a huge race in the final of the 400 meter hurdles, running a lifetime best of 1:01.91 and finishing second. Her time puts her 10th in the country.
Claire Fischer was third in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.26.
Tommie Brenner (So. – Reedsburg, WI) finished third in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.59 meters.
Amber Harris (Jr. – Coon Rapids, MN) had an impressive third place finish in the heptathlon, with a lifetime best score of 4,177.
On the men's side, the dominant distance crew took control once again. Darin Lau (Jr. – Eau Claire, WI/Immanuel), John Vodacek (Sr. – New Auburn, WI/Bloomer), and Nick Petersson (Sr. – Brookfield, WI/Brookfield Central) led the way, finishing 1(14:13.21), 2(14:47,72), and 4(14:57.78) respectively. It was an exciting preview for what is to come at the national meet in just a few short weeks.
Kyler Lueck (Fr. – Germantown, WI/Wisconsin Lutheran), a phenomenal first-year talent, won the 1500 meter run in a time of 3:50.67, which is currently 10th in the nation.
Lueck and Ryan Graham (Sr. – Maple Grove, MN) went 2-3 in the 800 meter run, with times of 1:51.95 and 1:52.83. Lueck is 14th in the country in this event as well.
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) had a great performance with a third place, finishing in 41.27.
The 4x400 meter relay team—comprised of three freshmen and a sophomore— Zmolek, Munn, Hunter Henk (Fr. – Beldenville, WI/River Falls), and Christonich—surprised everyone by snagging the conference title in a time of 3:13.86. That impressive time is exacerbated by the fact that the relay was without their senior pillar in Jimmy Paske (Sr. – Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins, who fell ill during the meet. That time is currently good for 3rd in the nation, run by a very young group with a very high ceiling.
Overall, it was a promising weekend for Blugold track and field, with a lot to be excited about in the next few weeks, and the young talent in place for the future. The Blugolds will head to La Crosse this Friday for the first of two last chance qualifying meets before they head to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Geneva, OH.
