LA CROSSE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's track & field team totaled 46 points to finish sixth of eight teams competing at the Phil Esten Challenge on Friday.
UW-Oshkosh won the event with a leading total of 199 points. Winona State University (Minn.) took second with 186 and host UW-La Crosse rounded out the top three with 121 points.
The Blugolds' strongest event was the 10,000-meter run. Michelle Brunshidle (So.-Hammond, Wis./St. Croix Central) crossed the line second in 39:12.18. Teammates Molly Woodford (Sr.-Waukesha, Wis./South) and Ilse Renner (So.-Green Bay, Wis./East) closely followed for respective fourth and fifth places.
Erin Schoenfelder (So.-Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community) also nailed a runner-up finish for Eau Claire. Schoenfelder raced to second in the 100-meter hurdles, completing the event in just 15.61.
In the field, Julia Baranek (Jr.-Port Washington, Wis.) led with a second place finish in the high jump. Baranek reached a height of 1.58 meters (5-02.25). She also placed seventh in the triple jump with an effort of 10.31 meters (33-10.00).
In the javelin throw, Heidi Anderson (So.-Baraboo, Wis.) placed fifth with a toss of 31.02 meters (101-09). Lindsey Haller (Jr.-Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) picked up three top-10 finishes with her efforts in the shot put (seventh), discus throw (eighth) and hammer throw (10th).
Brittany Frederick (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis./Preble) also represented the Blugolds this weekend at the Dave Rankin Invitational hosted by Division I Purdue University. Frederick placed fourth in the hammer throw competition with an attempt of 51.30 meters (168-04), an NCAA Division III Championship provisional qualifying mark. Saturday, she took third in the discus throw, automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a mark of 46.76 meters (153-05) for third place. She was also eighth in the shot put.
Blugolds will participate in two different events next weekend. Beginning on Friday, the team will compete in the Winona State Invitational in Winona, Minn. as well as the two-day Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan.
