By: Brett Haffner, UWEC Sports Info
LA CROSSE, WI (blugolds.com)— On the second day of the WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the Blugold men's and women's track and field teams finished out a strong day of competition on a sunny Saturday. On the women's side, the Blugolds finished 2nd as a team, finishing with 137 points. Meet hosts UW-La Crosse won the meet with 293.5 points. On the men's side, the Blugolds finished 3rd as a team, finishing with 131.5 points. UW-Oshkosh won the team title with 180 points.
Men's Results | Women's Results | Decathlon Results | Heptathlon Results
With one of the highlight performances of the day, Sam Verkerke (Fr.- White Bear Lake, MN/White Bear Lake) won the 1500m in 3:46.18, running a eight-second personal best, which set a new WIAC Championship record and ranks him #3 in Division III. Right behind him, Jake Petri (Sr.- Muskego, WI/Muskego) ran a new personal best in the 1500m to take 4th in the event, running 3:48.64. This ranks him #15 in Division III currently.
Marcus Weaver (So.- Lewiston, MN/Lewiston-Altura) won the Decathlon by a wide margin, earning 7,193 points over the ten-discipline contest. This performance was a WIAC Championship record, and puts him at #2 in Division III currently. Max Foland also scored in the Decathlon, scoring 6,129 points to earn 8th place overall.
In the women's heptathlon, the Blugold women scored 17 total team points. Jane Kautz led the way in 3rd, scoring 4,189 points. Emma Gruen and Emilee Booker took 4th and 5th, respectively, as Gruen scored 4,154 points while Booker scored 4,132 points. Gabby Semerad also scored in 7th place, scoring 3,961 points.
The women's discus had the largest point total of any individual event for the Blugolds, as Gabby Hicks, Kayla Behnke, Morgan Jensen, and Teagan Jones combined for 25 total points. Hicks placed 1st with 48.06m, Benhke was 3rd with 44.14m, Jensen was 4th with 41.46m, and Jones was 5th with 41.03m.
In the men's 400m, the Blugold men took 1st, 4th, and 6th, bringing home 18 team points. Colin McClowry was the champion in the event, running 48.45; Jordan Lijewski took 4th, running 48.91; and Sam Schreiber took 6th, running 49.39. The men's 4x400m relay came home as conference champions in 3:15.15. The members of the relay were Sam Schreiber, Colin McClowry, Josiah Ziebell, and Jordan Lijewski. The women's 4x400m relay finished in 3rd place with a time of 3:57.99. The members were Cassidy Eiers, Gianna Kornaus, Jaryn Johansson, and Anna Schueth. The women's 4x100m relay finished in 2nd place with a time of 47.71, and the members were Megan Best, Kady Kochendorfer, Gianna Kornaus, and Amanda Iverson. The men's 4x100m relay finished in 3rd place with a time of 41.09. The members of the relay were Arik Skifstad, Colin McClowry, Charlie Wolter, and Stefan Klechefski.
Additional All-Conference Athletes (Top 8)
2nd Place: Catie Fobbe, Shot Put, 14.43m
2nd Place: Wes Keller, High Jump, 2.05m
2nd Place: Kady Kochendorfer, 100m, 11.92
3rd Place: Yakob Ekoue, Shot Put, 15.61m
3rd Place: Yakob Ekoue, Discus, 48.59m
3rd Place: Carolyn Shult, 1500m, 4:33.32
3rd Place: Anna Schueth, 800m, 2:16.34
3rd Place: Kady Kochendorfer, Triple Jump, 11.86m
3rd Place: Kady Kochendorfer, 200m, 24.67
4th Place: Ella Williamson, High Jump, 1.53m
4th Place: Jaryn Johannson, 100m Hurdles, 14.69
4th Place: Mason Malm, 400m Hurdles, 54.85
6th Place: Abrahm Schroedl, High Jump, 1.97m
6th Place: Josiah Ziebell, 400m Hurdles, 55.53
7th Place: Brady Deegan, 400m Hurdles, 56.93
7th Place: Molly Kellenbach, Triple Jump, 11.39m
7th Place: Cassidy Eiers, 400m, 59.58
7th Place: Jaryn Johannsen, 400m Hurdles, 1:06.17
7th Place: Megan Best, 100m, 12.23
8th Place: Stefan Klechefski, 100m, 10.58
8th Place: Charlie Wolter, 200m, 21.97
8th Place: Kylie Judd, 800m, 2:21.08
Next up for the Blugolds will be the two weekends of Last Chance opportunities to qualify for Nationals. Some distance athletes will head to North Central, while much of the team will go to UW-La Crosse to chase down national qualifying marks and new PR's.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
