UW-La Crosse Wins Fifth Consecutive Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship
WHITEWATER, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed its fifth consecutive title at the 2016 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at Rex Foster Track Complex and Fiskum Field on May 7.
The Eagles collected the 31st championship trophy in program history with 238 points. UW-Oshkosh placed second with 141, UW-Stout third with 103, UW-Whitewater fourth with 90.33, UW-Eau Claire fifth with 87.5, UW-Stevens Point sixth with 85, UW-Platteville seventh with 62.66 and UW-River Falls eighth with 11.5.
UW-La Crosse claimed eight individual titles and a pair of relay crowns during the second day of competition. Meg Heafy was victorious in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash with times of 11.97 and 24.70, respectively. She won the 100-meter dash for the third straight year to become the just the third person in WIAC archives to accomplish the feat. Heafy was also a member of the first-place 4x100-meter relay team that produced a time of 46.83. She was joined by Maggie Slatter, Courtney Purcell and Claire Gordee.
Bria Halama was also a double-winner for the Eagles, producing a time of 56.44 in the 400-meter dash and conference meet record distance of 41-5 1/4 in the triple jump. She won the triple jump for the second consecutive league meet.
Claire Gordee secured the 100-meter hurdles with a conference meet record time of 13.92 and was a member of the triumphant 4x400-meter relay squad that had a time of 3:51.92. She was joined by Jenna Goulet, Mallory Hall and Rachel Atchison. Hall also won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 1:01.68.
Kaitlyn McDaniel and Autumn Miller also had first-place performances for the Eagles with McDaniel emerging in the 5,000-meter run in 18:10.38 and Miller in the shot put with a heave of 45-3.
UW-Oshkosh’s Kylee Verhasselt captured the 800-meter run for the second straight year with a time of 2:14.14 and the 1,500-meter run in 4:38.22. Teammate Kasey Ederer became the first individual in WIAC history to win four straight high jump titles after leaping 5-5 1/4.
UW-Stevens Point’s Kadie Flynn won the discus for the third time in her career with a toss of 158-3. She also secured the event in 2013 and 2015. UW-Stout’s Emma Sapiro amassed 4,595 points enroute to the heptathlon title.
UW-La Crosse’s Bria Halama received the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award (sponsored by Badgerland Financial).
The Larry Zirgibel 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 Sam Anderson; UW-La Crosse’s Katie Henriksen; UW-Oshkosh’s Kasey Ederer; UW-Platteville’s Brooke Higbee; UW-River Falls’ DeAnna Cahoon-Draus; UW-Stevens Point’s Kadie Flynn; UW-Stout’s Emily Minniecheske; and UW-Whitewater’s Ariel Altergott.
Day Two Champions
100-Meter Dash: Meg Heafy (UW-La Crosse), 11.97
200-Meter Dash: Meg Heafy (UW-La Crosse), 24.70
400-Meter Dash: Bria Halama (UW-La Crosse), 56.44
800-Meter Run: Kylee Verhasselt (UW-Oshkosh), 2:14.14
1,500-Meter Run: Kylee Verhasselt (UW-Oshkosh), 4:38.22
5,000-Meter Run: Kaitlyn McDaniel (UW-La Crosse), 18:10.38
100-Meter Hurdles: Claire Gordee (UW-La Crosse), 13.92*
400-Meter Intermediate Hurdles: Mallory Hall (UW-La Crosse), 1:01.68
Discus: Kadie Flynn (UW-Stevens Point), 158-3 (48.24m)
High Jump: Kasey Ederer (UW-Oshkosh), 5-5 1/4 (1.66m)
Shot Put: Autumn Miller (UW-La Crosse), 45-3 (13.79m)
Triple Jump: Bria Halama (UW-La Crosse), 41-5 1/4 (12.63m)*
Heptathlon: Emma Sapiro (UW-Stout), 4,595 points
4x100-Meter Relay: UW-La Crosse (Maggie Slatter, Courtney Purcell, Claire Gordee, Meg Heafy), 46.83
4x400-Meter Relay: UW-La Crosse (Jenna Goulet, Mallory Hall, Rachel Atchison, Claire Gordee), 3:51.92
*Conference Meet Record
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