Pioneers gearing up for stretch run
Platteville, Wis.- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville spring athletic teams are in the final stretch of their spring season. The Pioneer women’s golf team finished its season by finishing sixth at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (presented by Culver’s). Junior Markie Ash was the top finisher for the Pioneers, with a three-day total of 247 to finish 13th. Ash was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship team.
Platteville, Wis.- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville spring athletic teams are in the final stretch of their spring season. The Pioneer women's golf team finished its season by finishing sixth at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (presented by Culver's). Junior Markie Ash was the top finisher for the Pioneers, with a three-day total of 247 to finish 13th. Ash was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship team.
Track prepares for WIAC Championship
The Pioneer men and women's track and field team used their final home meet of 2021 to tune up for the WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (presented by Culver's). The Pioneers hosted UW-Whitewater, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Oshkosh and the University of Dubuque for the Border Battle on Friday, April 30.
Senior Gwen Orr broke her own school record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.33 seconds to finish second. She also finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.55 seconds.
Junior Bryce Bierman finished second in the high jump with a personal best 2.03 meters (6' 8"). Freshman Daniel Inyang finished fourth, clearing 1.93 meters (6' 4")
Full Border Battle recap and photos.
Week ahead:
The Pioneers will travel to UW-River Falls for the 2021 WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (presented by Culver's). The Championship starts Friday, May 7 and finishes Saturday, May 8.
Junior Brianna Leahy will enter the championship with the top WIAC mark in the shot put. Leahy recently broke the school record with a toss of 14.55 meters (47' 9"). Senior Katie Schilling will look to defend her 2019 WIAC title in the 400-meter hurdles. She enters the event with the sixth best time in the WIAC.
Bierman and Inyang enter the event with the third and sixth best heights in the high jump. Senior Alex Walechka enters the event with the second best WIAC discus throw and third in the hammer throw. Walechka set a personal best in the hammer at the Border Battle with a toss of 57.17 meters (187' 7"). Walechka is ranked third in the nation in the discus and ninth in the hammer throw.
Junior Jacob Rice will compete in multiple events. He is currently ranked second in the WIAC in the javelin with a season best 53.65 meters (176' 0"). He is ranked fifth in the decathlon and 10th in the 110-meter hurdles.
Following the WIAC Championship meet, the Pioneers will have the opportunity to better their marks and times to qualify for the national meet with last chance meets. The final last chance meet is Thursday, May 20. The NCAA Outdoor National Championship will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning Thursday, May 27 and finishing Saturday, May 29.
Softball in final week of regular season
The Pioneers (15-13, 6-6 WIAC) went 4-2 the week of April 26. The Pioneers split a conference doubleheader with UW-La Crosse on Friday, April 30. The Eagles took game one 2-1. The Pioneers would respond with a 4-2 win in the night cap. The Pioneers opened up the week at UW-Stevens Point and bounced back from a 9-1 defeat to earn a split with a game two victory 3-0. For the second time in as many weeks, the Pioneers swept UW-Stout 4-2 and 4-0.
UW-La Crosse recap and photos.
Week ahead:
The Pioneers enter the final week of the regular season with a pair of doubleheaders. The Pioneers will welcome UW-Whitewater (22-8, 8-4 WIAC) to the Pioneer Softball Complex for a pair of non-conference games on Tuesday, May 4. The contest mark's the end of the regular season at home for the Pioneers. The Pioneers and Warhawks split a pair of conference games on April 14. The Pioneers took game one with a 7-6 win before the Warhawks jumped out to an early lead to win game two 6-3.
The Pioneers will travel to UW-Eau Claire (21-13, 7-5 WIAC) on Friday, May 7 for a pair of conference games to close out the regular season. This will be the first and only regular season meeting between the Pioneers and Blugolds.
The Pioneers enter the week fifth in the WIAC with a .302 batting average, and fourth in pitching with a 3.42 ERA.
Senior Shannon Gaul leads the Pioneers with a .400 average (32-for-80). She has eight doubles, four home runs, a triple and 20 RBIs. Sophomore Claire Bakkestuen leads the Pioneers with five home runs, and tied with Gaul in RBIs with 20. Seven of the nine Pioneer regulars are hitting .300 or better.
Bakkestuen leads the Pioneers in the circle with a 3.02 ERA. Senior Ashton Hoeppner leads the team in wins with six, complete games with eight and saves with five. Bakkestuen has five wins and two complete games.
Baseball battle UW-Stout in six game
The Pioneers (14-16, 8-12 WIAC) will look to start a new winning streak after their six-game win streak was snapped by UW-Oshkosh. The Titans swept four conference games from the Pioneers this past week.
Week ahead:
The Pioneers face UW-Stout in a six-game series beginning at UW-Stout on Tuesday, May 4. The Blue Devils will travel to Kendall Murray Field on Friday, May 7 before the Pioneers return to Menomonie, Wisconsin, on Saturday, May 8 to finish the series. The first two doubleheaders are conference games and the last will be a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. all three days. The Pioneers and Blue Devils split a pair of games to open the 2021 season. The Blue Devils took game one 16-2 before the Pioneers bounced back in game two for an 11-6 victory.
Junior Jonathan Kelso continues his quest to rewrite the Pioneer's record book. Kelso enters the week with a 13-game hitting streak. During the streak, Kelso is hitting .520 (26-for-50) with four doubles, two triples and two homeruns. Kelso is leading the WIAC in hitting (.481), hits (52), runs scored (39), doubles (15), stolen bases (20), and on-base-percentage (.580).
Kelso is closing in on the school record for career doubles (48, Josh Moses, 2017-current), hits (195, Ross Bennett, 2005-08) and triples (13, Josh Moses, 2017-current). Kelso currently has 40 career doubles, 180 hits and eight triples. Kelso is also on pace to set the single season record for on-base-percentage (.570, Kevin Gucwa, 1993) and closing in on the single season double record set by teammate Jose Moses with 20 in 2018.
Freshman Grant Mullins leads the WIAC with five triples. Kelso leads the Pioneers with four homeruns and 23 RBIs.
Junior Michael Greco leads the pioneers on the mound with a 3.45 ERA. Senior Shane Nolan leads the Pioneers in strike-outs with 31.
To follow the remaining spring action for the Pioneers, visit www.Letsgopioneers.com for links for live stats, postgame recaps and links for the contests that are live streamed. Follow the official social media accounts of Pioneer Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.