Pioneer track and field opens 2020 season at UW-Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wis. – Each year the Pioneer track and field team begins the indoor track and field season at the WIAC Triangular. This year the Pioneers traveled to the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point to compete against the Pointers and the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Blugolds.

Opening her junior season, Gwen Orr won the women's 200m dash clocking a personal record 26.31 seconds. In the women's 60m dash finals, Orr took second place with a time of 8.03 seconds, also a personal best time.

In the men's 200m dash, sophomore Jacob Downing ran a personal best time of 23.04 seconds. Downing also ran a personal best time in the 400m, running a time of 51.35 seconds. Teammate Paul Rapp opened his senior season with 50.94 in the 400m dash to take third place.

Sophomore Jessica Buss ran 1:04.11 and Haley Ott ran 1:05.39 in the 400m dash. After an impedance around the final curve, Mackenzie Pruett managed to run 1:05.86.

Senior Charlie Gifford took second place in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.29 seconds in the finals. Teammates Sean Komro and Matt Hokanson also qualified to the finals, finishing within 0.01 seconds of each other at 8.58 and 8.59 seconds respectively. In the women's 60m hurdles, Pioneers Casey Rielly and Katheryn Holter qualified to the finals. Rielly ran 10.02 and Holter ran a personal best time of 10.47.

Running to personal bests in the men's mile, Ben Trihey ran 4:33.03 and Jason Voelker ran 4:39.42. Winning the women's mile race, Johanna Meister ran a time of 5:16.96. Teammate Caitlyn Ifft ran 5:31.92.

In the men's 800m run, freshman Colton Johnson led an entire squad of Pioneer middle distance runners. Johnson ran 2:03.11 to take first place. William Carlson followed, running 2:04.37. Other notable mentions in the men's 800 include Aaron Simays who ran 2:05.21, Tyler Doering who ran 2:05.24, and Devon Hermes who ran 2:05.46.

Senior Haley Daniels ran a personal best in the women's 3,000m. Daniels clocked 12:24.85. Teammate Kirstie Ramsey also ran a personal best time of 12:16.51. Brenna Kautz clocked 11:44.85 to lead the Pioneer women in the 3,000m. For the Pioneer men, Nick Hein lead the way with 9:27.21. Freshman Caleb Christiansen followed, finishing in 9:40.99.

Junior Alex Girard won the weight throw event with a throw of 16.95m (55-7.5). Ben Veverka threw a personal best throw of 15.70 (51-6.25) and placed sixth. Senior Alex Walechka opened his season throwing 15.61m (51-2.75) for seventh place. In the women's weight throw, senior Rachel Beuthin took third place with 14.46m (47-5.25). Murphy Bleymeyer threw a personal best of 13.30m (43-7.75).

Taking fourth place in the men's shot put, senior Cole Eastlick opened the season with 15.03m (49-03). In the women's shot put, senior Brianna Hall took second place with a throw of 12.92m (42-4.75) and Beuthin placed fourth with a throw of 12.54m (41-1.75).

As for the men's pole vault, Alex Wright, Jordan Monroe, Micah Arellano, Kyle VanDenBusch, Ethan Neumann, Jacob Erickson, and Ryan Traut all pole vaulted 3.77m (12-4). Two Pioneer women saw personal best vaults; Jordan Meciej took third place with 3.32m (10-10.75) and Casey Rielly took fourth place with 3.02m (9-10.75).

Jacob Rice jumped a personal best long jump of 6.08m (19-11.5). Rice also took third place in the 60m dash with a time of 7.28 seconds, also a personal best. In their collegiate debut in the long jump, Adam Wildman jumped 6.22m (20-5) and Owen Miller jumped 6.17m (20-3). In the women's triple jump, freshman Kelli Schneider began her collegiate career jumping 10.26m (33-8). Sophomore Damani White completed a triple jump of 13.23m (43-5) to start the season.

Senior Noah Steiner won the men's high jump with a jump of 2.05m (6-8.75). Freshman Dalton Balcome completed a jump of 1.85m (6-0.75) and sophomore Bryce Bierman jumped 1.80m (5-10.75). Elaina Sirois and Madelyn Young competed in the women's high jump. Sirois jumped 1.37m (4-6) and freshman Young debuted with a jump of 1.32m (4-4).

Next Saturday, the University of Wisconsin – Platteville will host the Pioneer Open. The indoor track and field meet will begin at 11am on Saturday, Feb. 1.