Pioneers reach the podium at track and field nationals

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville track and field team was well represented at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship.

Pioneers reach the podium at track and field nationals

Two UW-Platteville track and field student-athletes repeated as indoor all-Americans, and two more stood on the national podium for the first time, highlighting the Pioneers' effort at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships March 13-14 in Winston-Salem N.C.

Amber Williams earned honors in two jumping events, and Ian LaMere brought home a medal for the third straight year in the 5,000-meter run. Garrett Riggs, in the pole vault, and Joel Walden, in the mile run, earned all-American honors, which are awarded to the top eight in each event.

With a best leap of 39-feet-6, Williams finished third in the triple jump. She hit her two best jumps in her final two attempts. She also earned all-American honors in the long jump, placing fourth with a best leap of 18-7.25.  Williams, who was eighth nationally last year, is the only Pioneer female to ever earn indoor all-American honors in the long jump.

LaMere was fifth in the 5,000 Friday night with a season-best time of 14.34.37. The junior was fifth in 2013 and sixth last spring.

Walden placed eighth in a tightly-contested mile run, finishing in 4:13.99. Less than a second separated the sixth through ninth-place runners.

Riggs and Pioneer teammate Matthew Dwyer finished even with Mount Union's Tyler Orewiler in the pole vault with best efforts of 16-0.75, but because Riggs and Orewiler cleared it on their first attempt, they tied for seventh and on the podium. Dwyer, who hit his final height on his second attempt, placed ninth.

Alyssa Iserman and Kyle Whaley each finished two places above their respective seeds. Iserman grabbed 13th in the high jump at 5-3, and Whaley was 11th in the shot put at 52-10.​