UW-La Crosse Collects Fifteenth Consecutive Men’s Indoor Track & Field Title
(Pictured above: Joshua George of Culver's (Fond du Lac) presents UW-La Crosse with the WIAC championship trophy)
OSHKOSH, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse won its 15th consecutive title at the 2016 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at UW-Oshkosh’s Kolf Sports Center on Feb. 27.
The Eagles claimed the 41st first-place finish in program history with 166.50 points to surpass the second-place sum of 98 points by UW-Stevens Point. UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater tied for third with 80.50 points, while UW-Platteville took fifth with 77, UW-Oshkosh sixth with 76.50, UW-Stout seventh with 51 and UW-River Falls eighth with 33.
UW-La Crosse’s 4x400-meter relay team of Zak Wallenfang, Dominic Bocchini, Joe Smith and Ross Denman were victorious in a conference-meet record time of 3:17.23.
UW-Eau Claire’s Josh Thorson successfully defended his title in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:16.65, while Alex Mess claimed the 35-pound weight throw with a fling of 63-10 1/2.
UW-Whitewater’s Parker Witt captured the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.86, while Robert Starnes had a first-place height of 6-9 1/2 in the high jump.
UW-Platteville won the 60-meter hurdles with a conference-meet record time of 7.99 and UW-River Falls won his second straight WIAC title in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.79.
UW-Oshkosh’s Wal Khat was victorious in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:51.66, while UW-Stevens Point Jerry Williams leaped to a winning distance of 48-10 in the triple jump and UW-Stout’s Ethen Schoen earned the heptathlon with 4,852 points.
UW-La Crosse’s Luke Sauerman received the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award, which is sponsored by Badgerland Financial.
All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school. Named to the squad were: UW-Eau Claire’s Will La Jeunesse; UW-La Crosse’s Garrett Carlson; UW-Oshkosh’s Ryne Scopp; UW-Platteville’s Kyle Whaley; UW-River Falls’ AJ Walsh-Brenizer; UW-Stevens Point’s Neil Pedersen; UW-Stout’s Cole Bergman; and UW-Whitewater’s Cameron Magee.
Individual Event Champions – Day Two
60-Meter Dash: David Paynotta (UW-River Falls), 6.79
200-Meter Dash: Parker Witt (UW-Whitewater), 21.86
800-Meter Run: Wal Khat (UW-Oshkosh), 1:51.66
3,000-Meter Run: Josh Thorson (UW-Eau Claire), 8:16.65
60-Meter Hurdles: Dan Arnold (UW-Platteville), 7.99*
High Jump: Robert Starnes (UW-Whitewater), 6-9 1/2 (2.07m)
Triple Jump: Jerry Williams (UW-Stevens Point), 48-10 (14.88m)
35-Pound Weight Throw: Alex Mess (UW-Eau Claire), 63-10 1/2 (19.47m)
Heptathlon: Ethen Schoen (UW-Stout), 4,852 points
Relay Champions – Day Two
4x400-Meter Relay: UW-La Crosse (Zak Wallenfang, Dominic Bocchini, Joe Smith, Ross Denman), 3:17.23*
*Conference Meet Record
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