Men’s Track finishes a historic third at WIAC Championships

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Platteville track & field teams finished up the second day of the WIAC Track and Field Championships on Saturday. 

The men's team had an exciting day, tying UW-Eau Claire for third place with 110 points. This was the first time in Pioneer history that the men's team finished in third, and their best finish since 1969 when UW-Platteville took second. The Pioneers' 110 points was the most since 2003 when they recorded 111 points. 

Host UW-La Crosse won the championship with 223 points followed by UW-Oshkosh with 206 points.

Capturing first place in a clutch race, the men's 4x100 meter relay team consisting of Aaron Hrubes, a senior from Madison, Wis.; Casey Goffinet, a senior from Platteville, Wis.; Jordan Olp, a senior from Reedsville, Wis., and Caleb Mertens, a freshman from Brookfield, Wis., in a time of 41.13 seconds. 

In the 100 meter dash Hrubes and Goffinet captured second and eighth place finishing in times of 10.69 seconds, and 11.12 seconds. 

Hrubes also placed second in the 200 meter dash in a time of 21.35. 

Matt Ziegler, a senior from Madison, Wis., placed third in the 400 meter run in a time of 48.67. 

Jacob Dailey, a senior from Platteville, Wis., placed fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 180 feet and ten inches. 

The men's high jump had many Pioneers make it to the podium as Ace McCarty, a junior from Genoa, Ill., took fourth place jumping six feet, four and three quarters of an inch; Andrew Kissner, a senior from Pewaukee, Wis., took fifth place jumping six feet, four and three quarters of an inch; Alex Nagorsen, a freshman from Monona Grove, Wis., took sixth place jumping six feet, four and three quarters of an inch; and John Egan, a senior from Stoughton, Wis., taking eighth place jumping six feet, two and three quarters of an inch. The places were determined based upon misses during each height. 

In the 110 high hurdles, juniors T.J. Valley, from Prairie du Chien, Wis., and Patrick Kessenich, from Milwaukee Wis., took second and seventh places with times of 14.71 seconds and 15.12 seconds. 

Sophomore Joel Walden, from Byron, Ill., captured seventh place in the 5,000 meter run in a time of 15:20.46. 

Rounding out the meet, the men's 4x400 meter relay team, consisting of Valley, Kessenich, Ziegler and Jason Henkins, a sophomore from Kewaunee, Ill., placed seventh in a time of 3:21:10 in an exciting concluding race. 

The women's team completed the championships in seventh place with 36 points. 

Lynea Axelson, a junior from Oregon, Ill., took third place in the 800 meter finals in a time of 2:13.26. 

In the heptathlon, sophomore Caitlin Thomson from Whitehall, Wis., placed fifth with 4239 points. Teammate Stephanie Wyss, a junior from Monroe, Wis., was close behind and placed seventh with 4110 points. 

Senior Keturah Vangen, a senior from Rio, Wis., placed sixth in the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 1:06.64. 

Alyssa Iserman, a freshman from Hazel Green, Wis., took sixth place in the high jump. 

Senior Kristin Wiley from Oshkosh, Wis., took sixth place in the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet and one and a quarter inches.  

Janice Rasmussen, a senior from DoSoto, Wis., placed seventh in the discus throw with a mark of 127 feet and nine inches.

A select number of Pioneers will compete on Friday at either the Dr. Keeler Invitational in Naperville, Ill. or the UW-La Crosse Open.