Wrestling prepare for regionals, Track prepare for WIAC indoor meet

Platteville, Wis.- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer wrestling team will participate in the Upper Midwest regionals on Feb. 28 and 29 in Minneapolis.   The Pioneers are coming off a fourth-place finish in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Junior Lucius Rinehart won an individual title, going 4-0 in the 285-pound weight class.  Freshman Nathan Wynsma finished second in the 165-pound weight class.

Rinehart will enter the regionals with a 21-1 record, while Wynsma enters with a 21-3 record.  Top three finishers of the regional will advance to the NCAA III national meet March 13 and 14 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Orr breaks school record at UD Invite

Junior Gwen Orr broke the school record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.69 to finish fourth place at the University of Dubuque invite on Feb. 21.  Orr currently ranks No. 11 in the indoor national rankings in the 200m time.  Orr was named WIAC Kwik Trip athlete of the week for women's indoor track.

Senior Charlie Gifford won the 55m hurdles in 7.64.  This is the first event that Gifford and the Pioneers ran the 55m hurdles.  Gifford won the 60m hurdles at the UW-Platteville Invite on Feb. 15 and the Red Hawk Invite on Feb. 8. 

Freshman Dane Adams, senior Brett Schommer, senior Cole Gore and sophomore Cole Stugelmeyer won the 4 x 200m relay in a time of 1:36.60.  While the 4 x 400m team consisting of, junior Zach Frei, senior Paul Rapp, sophomore Jacob Downing and senior Matt Hokanson, ran a season best 3:21.93 to finish second. 

The Pioneers will compete at the WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship meet Feb. 28 and 29 at UW Oshkosh.

Pioneer athletics raise $4,197 for Special Olympics

The Pioneer athletic department participated in the Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Polar Plunge on Feb. 22.  In total, 42 current student-athletes, one alumnus and two coaches signed up for the plunge.  Each member who signed up needed to raise $75.  The Pioneer group raised $4,197 for Special Olympics.   Special Olympics uses funds raised for a wide range of needs, including new equipment, shoes, travel and rental of sports complexes for competition.