By Carly Fehler, UWEC Sports Information
GENEVA, Ohio (Blugolds.com) - The Blugolds turned in another solid day of performances in day two of competition at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field National Championships on Friday. The rain finally passed and allowed for the Blugolds to have some impressive finishes.
Results | Saturday's Finals
The Blugold throwers kicked the day off in the shot put. David Kornack (Jr. – Edgar, WI) had a tough series coming off of his All-American finish yesterday in the discus, and finished 19th in the field with a mark of 14.92 meters.
Eau Claire native JoHannah Theisen (Jr. – Eau Claire, WI/Regis), who has been poised for a breakout performance all year in the shot put, finally did just that. She threw a whopping 14.21 meters—a personal record and new school record—and earned her first All-American honor with a fifth place finish. It was a staggering personal best of nearly half a meter. Blugold throwers have historically been a source of strength for the track and field program—and Theisen's performance shows that torch of greatness is still brightly lit.
Jessie Reineck (Sr. - Greenville,WI/Fox Valley Lutheran)—fondly referred to as Noodle by her teammates and coaches—had another busy day on the track. She ran a blistering 55.18 in the 400 meter dash, a new personal best by half a second, and advanced to the final for what is likely the most competitive and talent-heavy event in this meet. Reineck will have her hands full on championship Saturday, as she will run the 4x100, 400, 200, 4x400 relay. However, her unparalleled mental toughness coupled with the emotions of her final meet as a Blugold, will put her in a position to echo the mantra of the team this season--and leave her legacy.
Jess Rupnow (Sr. – Sussex, WI/Sussex-Hamilton) also competed in the 400 meter dash today, but it was simply not her day. She finished 16th overall with a time of 57.12. However, Rupnow's weekend is not over—she plays a crucial role in each of the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays that are currently ranked second going into tomorrow's final—two races that the Blugolds intend to win.
Jimmy Paske (Sr. – Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins) had a tough 400 meter dash of his own. He unfortunately pulled his hamstring in the last 150 meters of the race, and was unable to complete the race. It was a heartbreaking end to a very successful career. Jimmy has been a source of unending positivity and heart for the team the last four years, and will continue to be that voice as he cheers on his teammates in the final of the 4x400 meter relay.
Kelsey Worachek (Jr. – Appleton, WI/Xavier) ran a very competitive preliminary round of the 100 meter dash, amidst another highly competitive event, finishing 19th overall. She ran a time of 12.45, and much like Rupnow, looks forward to the 4x100 meter relay final tomorrow.
One of the best performances of the day was delivered by Dylan Cooper (Fr. – Holmen, WI) in the decathlon. He spent the entire season last year unable to compete due to injury, along with a string of injuries this year that made his sixth place, All-American finish even more impressive. Cooper set a personal record in six of his 10 events on the weekend, including multiple personal bests in the pole vault successively. He finished with a personal best point total of 6,612 points and earned his first All-American honor. It's incredibly difficult to put together such a complete decathlon—especially in his first National debut—but Cooper showed a lot of grit, maturity, and even more potential in the years to come.
The Blugolds have a lot to be excited about after day two of this National meet. The men are currently tied for fifth place with 13 points and the women are tied for 28th with 4 points. However, many of the Blugolds points will come in the sprint finals for the women and men's distance races tomorrow. Competition begins tomorrow morning at 9:30 am tomorrow, with sunny skies in the forecast for what should be a special ending to an already successful year. Follow the live results and video on Blugold Game Day.
