Pioneers Set Five NCAA Provisional Marks and Multiple Season-Best Performances at UWP Invitational

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s track and field team took advantage of nearly ideal conditions to post NCAA provisional marks and multiple season-best performances at the UWP Invitational on Saturday.

On the men’s side, Jason Garvens (pictured above) was fourth in the 5,000-meter run in a NCAA provisional time and career-best performance of 14:37.32. Garvens' performance is the fifth-fastest in the nation to date; plus, teammate Nathan Petesch was fifth in 14:46.06.

Aaron Loferski won the 110-meter hurdles in a season-best time of 15.08 and teammate TJ Valley was eighth in 15.44. Loferski was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 57.07. Aaron Hrubes was second in the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.83, just three-hundredths of a second shy of the NCAA provisional time of 10.80.

Josh VandenBush was second in the triple jump with a season-best leap of 43-1.5. Matthew Ziegler and Ben Farrell were fourth (49.20) and fifth (49.30), respectively in the 400-meter dash. Jared Bradfish and Chas Spangenberg shared fifth-place honors win the pole vault with a season-best clearance of 14-1.25.

Brandon Harms was seventh in the 800-meter run in 1:56.06. Jake Wiederholt was eighth in the shot put (48-5.5) and ninth in the discus (144-3). Jon Swartz and Chris Sweeney were ninth (10:24.54) and 10th (10:52.50), respectively in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Like their women’s counterparts, the men also posted a NCAA provisional performance in the mile relay. The Pioneer men won the race in 3:16.29, which happens to be the second fastest in the nation to date, to edge UW-Stevens Point.

Next, the Pioneers will travel to the Augustana Meet of Champions on Saturday, April 16.