Pioneers Take Part in Three Different Meets in Preparations for WIAC Championships

April 28, 2012

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville track and field team split up among three meets on Saturday.

The Pioneers' Deidre Dillman and Danielle Kunkel traveled to the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Michigan. Kunkel finished fourth overall in the 10,000-meter run and set a new UW-Platteville school record with a time of 36:10.31 and the eighth fastest in Division III in 2012. Dillman was second in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:13.37

At the UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative, on the men's side, Jared Bradfish won with a season-best in the pole vault with a clearance of 15-11 1/4, winning by nearly 10 inches over his closest competitor. He was just 3/4 of an inch shy of the school record of 16-0. Mark Niemann won the javelin with a throw of 162-2, T.J. Valley and Daniel Poh were third (152-8) and fourth (151-6), respectively.

Ace McCarty and John Egan were two of the top collegiate finisher in the high jump with matching clearances of 6-2 3/4. Jake Wiederholt took second in the shot put with a toss of 51-3 3/4 and fifth in the discus with a throw of 150-3. Jacob Dailey was third in the hammer throw (167-11) and Josh Vandenbush was fourth in the long jump (19-6 3/4).

On the track, the Pioneers finished one-two in three events and in the 4x400-meter relay. Dan LaCroix and Joel Walden finished first and second in the 1,500-meter run with times of 4:01.83 and 4:05.44, respectively. T.J. Valley and Aaron Loferski took first and second in the 110-meter hurdles in times of 15.16 and 15.32, respectively. Mike Schmidt and Reese Mersberger were one-two in the 800-meter run with times of 1:58.39 and 1:58.48, respectively. Plus, Evan Morgan won the 10,000-meter run in a season-best time of 33:56.30.

On the women's side, Mary Katherine Kladar was one of five individuals to share first-place honors with a clearance of 5-1 and she was fifth in the javelin with a throw of 91-4. The Pioneers' won the 4x100-meter relay in a season-best time of 51.65.

Carshella Porter, who ran a leg on the winning 4x100-meter relay, was first in the 200-meter dash (26.43) second in the 400-meter dash (59.48). Keturah Vangen was second in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 17.44 and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:09.84. Brena Smithson was third in the 200-meter dash (27.78) and Kristin Wiley was fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 33-5 1/4.

At the Drake Relays, the men's 4x200-meter relay team finished sixth (1:28.27) 4x100-meter relay team finished 12th (42.00) and 4x400-meter relay team finished 22nd (3:21.61).

Next, the Pioneers will travel to the WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by UW-Whitewater, May 4-5.