LA CROSSE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Starting the day in fourth place, the UW-Eau Claire women's track and field team jumped two spots to earn a second place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by UW-La Crosse at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
The Blugolds finished the WIAC Championships in second place with 131 points. UW-La Crosse won the event with a total of 233.83 points. It is the fourth time that Eau Claire has finished second at the conference outdoor championships doing so in 1981, 2008 and 2011.
Carly Fehler (Sr.-Oak Creek, WI) won her first conference title in the 200-meter dash posting a time of 23.94 seconds. Her time is the fastest time run in the NCAA Division III this season. Fehler becomes the first Blugold to win the 200-meter crown since Peg Peelman achieved the feet in 1996. Individually Fehler also finished second in the 100-meter dash finals finishing the race in 11.62 seconds. Her time in the 100 broke her own school record of 11.81 seconds set at last year's NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships and is currently the second-fastest time in the country.
Fehler joined Kelsey Worachek (Fr.-Appleton, WI/Xavier), Jessie Reineck (Jr.-Greenville, WI/Fox Valley Lutheran) and Lindsey Laufenberg (Sr.-Waunakee, WI) to win the 4 x 100-meter relay championship and setting a new school record in the process of 46.35 seconds. The former school record stood 47.11 seconds set on April 26, 2014 at the Drake Relays. It is the second consecutive year the Blugolds have won the 4 x 100-meter crown. Fehler and Laufenberg were also members of last year's relay championship. Their time is currently the fastest NCAA Division III time in the nation.
The 4 x 400-meter relay of Steph Rouse (Sr.-Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins), Brooke Patterson (Sr.-Sussex, WI/Sussex-Hamilton), Sarah Glidden (So.-Greenville, WI/Hortonville) and Jessica Rupnow (Jr.-Sussex, WI/Sussex-Hamilton) joined the 4 x 100-meter relay team as conference champions, winning the event with a time of 3:48.50. Their time currently ranks third among NCAA Division III competitors.
Lucy Ramquist (Sr.-River Falls, WI) won her first outdoor conference championship in the 5,000-meter hurdles winning the event in 18:21.93. Ramquist becomes the third Blugold to ever win the 5,000-meter title last accomplished by Hannah Humbach in 2010.
Sam Anderson (Jr.-Forest Lake, MN) placed third in the discus with a toss of 144-8 (44.09 meters). It was Anderson's best effort of the season and currently ranks her 14th nationally. Anderson also placed eighth in the shot put with a toss of 40-11.75 (12.49 meters).
Other top placewinners include Worachek in the 100-meter dash finishing fourth clocking in at 12.04 seconds. Rupnow also placed fourth in the 400-meter dash crossing the finish line in 56.79. Glidden finished fourth in the high jump clearing 5-4.5 (1.64 meters).
Next the Blugolds will compete in a series of last-chance meets starting with the North Central (IL) Last Chance Meet. Competition will take place on Thursday, May 7 starting at 3:00 p.m.
-KCM-
