Strong track and field performances shatter conference and national rankings

Whitewater, Wis. – With one last weekend before the WIAC Outdoor Championships, the Pioneers traveled to the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater for the Drake Alternative Meet. Many UW – Platteville athletes competed for conference qualifying times. Athletes must reach the top 24 in their events in order to qualify to the conference meet hosted at UW – River Falls this year.

Chenoa Stuhr continued to see time drop in her 100m and 200m dash. Stuhr finished fourth in the 100m dash on Saturday with 12.73. She placed eighth in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 26.21, placing her at No. 13 on the conference list.

Freshman Rodrick McMiller shattered the UW – Platteville school record in the 200m dash when he ran 21.07 seconds, finding the top of the conference as well as the No. 1 time in the nation for Division III.

Paul Rapp placed fourth at the meet in the 400m dash, finishing with 50.94. Rapp will go into the conference championships No. 8 with a season best time of 49.78.

In the 800m, Zach Lee won with a time of 1:54.31. Lee's season best time of 1:53.15 currently ranks him No. 2 in the WIAC.

Johanna Meister finished in sixth place in the 1500m with a personal best of 4:57.35 qualifying her to the conference meet.

Sophomores Matt Hokanson and Charlie Gifford creeped below 15 seconds in the 110m hurdles. Gifford took second at the meet with 14.69 seconds, ranked No. 4 in the conference. Hokanson ran 14.81 for third place, ranked No. 5 in the conference.

Freshman Katie Schilling also creeped below 15 seconds, clocking 14.96 seconds in the 100m hurdles to take second place. Schilling sits at No. 3 in the conference.

Devin Johnson ran a 25 second personal best in the 3,000m steeple chase. Johnson won the event with a hand time of 9:50.4, sitting at No. 11 in the conference.

Alex Walechka threw for second place in the discus, throwing a personal best of 46.24m (151-8). Walechka is No. 10 in the conference in discus. Teammate Cole Eastlick is No. 5 with a season best of 47.35m (155-4) which he threw at the Meet of Champions in Augustana on April 20.

Freshman Jacob Rice threw for sixth place in javelin at the meet, marking 47.05m (154-4). Rice sits at No. 8 in the conference behind teammates Josh Miller (No. 3) and Cody Faust (No.5).

Rachel Beuthin placed fourth in the shot put with a season best throw of 13.19m (43-3.25). Beuthin comes in ranked at No. 4 in the conference. Freshman Murphy Bleymeyer threw a collegiate best to raise her to No. 9 in the conference with a throw of 12.27m (40-3.25). Brianna Hall threw 12.01m (39-5) for tenth place. Hall's shot put throw ranks her in conference at No. 12.

Hall also threw javelin at UW – Whitewater, throwing a personal best of 31.65m (103-10) ranking her at No. 14 in the conference. Cassandra Meyer threw a season best mark of 25.89m (84-11) to place her on the conference rankings list at No. 24.

In the women's pole vault, Brittany Ehlen had competed at Drake Relays on Friday as well as the Drake Alternative Meet on Saturday. Ehlen cleared a season best of 3.55m (11-7.75) at Drake Relays. At UW – Whitewater, Ehlen placed second with a vault of 3.44m (11-3.5). Ehlen comes in to conference at No. 5.

Noah Steiner also competed at Drake Relays on Friday. Steiner cleared 2.03m (6-8) to finish in tenth place. His season best jump of 2.09m (6-10.25) ranks him at No. 2 in the conference.

The Pioneers travel to UW – River Falls to compete at the WIAC Outdoor Conference Championships on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5. For more information about the championships visit the WIAC championships webpage.