By Colin McClowry, UWEC Sports Information
LA CROSSE, Wis (blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire track and field team competed in two different states this past Friday. The majority of the team competed at the Eagle Open in La Crosse while a handful of Blugold distance runners competed in the St Francis Fighting Chance Invite in Joliet, Illinois.
Rainy conditions in La Crosse resulted in many athletes dropping out of events, but the Blugolds still showed out in many events. The women's 4x400m relay of Kylee Grabarski, Emilee Booker, Jane Kautz, Jaryn Johannsen ran an impressive time of 3:52.54s. This time puts the squad in contention to qualify for the National Championships later this month. Once again, Yakob Ekoue won all three throwing events: Discus (48.13m), Shot Put (16.83m), and Hammer Throw (58.18m). Coming off a strong performance at the conference meet, Molly Kallenbach won the women's 100m dash with a time of 12.35s.
In Illinois, Mason Shea achieved a huge personal best in the 3,000m Steeplechase with a time of 9:01.11s, 20 seconds under his previous best. This time currently ranks Shea 11th in the nation in the event. Senior Carolyn Shult also ran a personal best in her main event, the 1,500m run (4:31.06). This performance currently places Shult within the top 20 times in the nation, giving her a good chance to qualify for the National Championships.
Eagle Open Results - St. Frances Results
Top Women's Finishers
1st
Molly Kallenbach (So. Hudson, Wis.): 100m Dash (12.35s)
Reagan Zimmerman (Fr. Sun Prairie, Wis.): 5,000m (19:16.76s)
4x400m Relay: Kylee Grabarski, Emilee Booker, Jane Kautz, Jaryn Johannsen (3:52.54s)
2nd
Megan Best (Sr. Oshkosh, Wis/West): 100m Dash (12.42s)
Jaryn Johannsen (Jr. Frazee, Wis): 400m Hurdles (1:03.95s)
Ryann Wagner (Fr. Lena, Wis./Gilet): 5,000m (19:30.56s)
Hannah Greeno (Fr. St Michaels, Minn./Albertville): Steeplechase (13:12.00s)
Morgan Jensen (Jr. Colfax, Wis): Discus (41.89m)
Teagen Jones (Jr. Lake Zurich, Ill.): Hammer Throw (54.42m)
Catie Fobbe (Sr. Annandale, Minn./Maple Lake): Shot Put (14.32m)
Top Men's Finishers
1st
Yakob Ekoue (Sr. Hopkins, Minn.): Discus (48.13m) Shot Put (16.83m) Hammer Throw (58.18m)
2nd
Mason Shea (Jr. River Falls, Wis.): Steeplechase (9:01.11s)
3rd
Brandon Roberts (Sr. Maple Park, Ill./Kaneland): Weight Throw (55.25m)
Wes Keller (So. Richland Center, Wis.): High Jump (2.00m)
Next Thursday, the Blugolds will again compete in two locations: the Augustana NCAA Qualifier in Rock Island, Illinois, and the UWL NCAA Qualifier in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This will be the final competition before the NCAA Championships in Rochester, New York.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
