Pioneers send record number of student-athletes to NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships

Indianapolis, Ind. – The Pioneer track and field program made an historical accomplishment this weekend qualifying 15 athletes to the 2019 NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships.

March 4, 2019

Indianapolis, Ind. – The Pioneer track and field program made an historical accomplishment this weekend qualifying 15 athletes to the 2019 NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Pioneers will be represented in nine different events. The championships will be hosted by the University of Massachusetts Boston at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Qualifying from the UW-Platteville men's track and field team, senior Cody Faust prepares to compete in the heptathlon. Faust currently ranks at No. 2 nationally with a point total of 5,275. The 2019 NCAA DIII championships will be Faust's third trip to the national championships.

Making his debut at the national championships, junior Charlie Gifford will be competing in the 60m hurdles. Gifford is ranked tied at No. 4 nationally after he ran a personal best time of 8.08 seconds at the UW-Platteville Final Qualifying Meet on March 1.

Noah Steiner prepares to compete in the high jump. Steiner is returning to the indoor national championships for the second time in his career. Steiner is ranked tied at No. 5 nationally currently.

Senior Zach Lee has qualified in the mile and is ranked at No. 2 nationally. His personal best time of 4.08.89 is the second fastest time in the history of NCAA DIII. Also qualifying in the mile is senior Nolan Wallenkamp. Wallenkamp's personal best time of 4:11.10 was ran at the Wartburg Qualifier on March 2.

Both Lee and Wallenkamp, along with teammates Logan Steinhoff and Alec Burcham, will be contributing to the Pioneer men's distance medley relay at the national championships. The DMR qualifying time of 9:57.66 currently sits at No. 3 nationally.

Burcham has qualified in the open 400m as well at the 4x400m relay. Burcham is ranked at No. 13 with his personal best time of 49.17 seconds which he ran at the WIAC Indoor Championships. Burcham along with Matt Hokanson, Kyle Buechner, and Paul Rapp will compete in the 4x400m relay. Junior Riley Bendorf will travel as an alternate. The qualifying time of the 4x400m relay, 3:19.26, ranks at No. 5 nationally.

For the Pioneer women's track and field team, four student-athletes have qualified to the NCAA DIII championships. Senior Brittany Ehlen will be competing in the pole vault after posting a qualifying mark of 3.71m (12-2) at the UW-Platteville Final Qualifying Meet on March 1.

Johanna Meister hit a personal best time in the 800m run on Saturday, March 2 at the Wartburg Qualifier. Meister ran 2:15.09. This will be Meister's first NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championship appearance.

In the shot put, two women have qualified to the national championships. Rachel Beuthin threw 13.58m (44-6.75) to qualify and Brianna Hall threw 13.30m (43-7.75). This will be Hall's first national championship appearance.

The Pioneers look forward to competition beginning on Friday, March 8 and concluding on Saturday, March 9.