Pioneers compete at Drake Relays and Drake Alternative

Des Moines, Iowa | Whitewater, Wis. – The Pioneer track and field team traveled to two different venues for this weekend's competitions, Drake Relays and the Drake Alternative Meet hosted by UW-Whitewater. With one week until championships season begins, the UW-Platteville track and field team began making final preparations for the first of post-season meets, the WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Drake Relays Highlights

Cade VanHout – Running among several NCAA DI and NCAA DII student-athletes, he finished in 12^th place in the 100m dash, clocking 10.92 seconds.

Alexander Walechka – Threw 43.95m (144-2) in discus at Drake Relays after throwing 47.85m (157-0) at the Drake Alternative meet on Friday, April 29.

Justin Eichler – Threw 56.38m (185-0) in the hammer throw.

4x100m – The men's team of Jacob Rice, Cade VanHout, Jacob Downing, and Derrick Turner ran 41.76 seconds to place 7^th and qualify to the finals. Alexis Healey, Gwen Orr, Shannon Wulf, and Madison Ahrens ran 49.76 seconds in the women's 4x100m, just shy of their season best time.

4x200m – The team of Orr, Kayla Lipsey, Wulf, and Ahrens ran 1:45.34, a school record time. Running the 4x200m relay is a unique opportunity as it is not contested at the WIAC championships or NCAA championships.

Drake Alternative Meet Highlights

Pioneer Men

Dylan Miller – Ran a personal best time of 51.83 seconds in the 400m dash.

Zach Flitsch – Ran a season best in the 800m, running 2:02.98.

Logan Bell – Took 5th place in the 1500m with a time of 4:03.07.

Troy Humpal – Finished in 2^nd in the 5,000m run finishing with a personal best time of 15:29.34.

Cole Stugelmeyer – Took 4^th place in the 110m hurdles with a personal best time of 14.95 seconds in the preliminaries.

Joey Madsen – Ran a personal best 10:06.32 in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Alex Girard – Bettered his personal best in the hammer throw by marking a throw of 55.13m (180-10).

Pioneer Women

Brianna Leahy – Won the shot put with a mark of 14.46m (47-5.25). Leahy threw a school record in the discus, 44.07m (144-7) to take 5^th.

Caitlynn Hahn – Ran a personal best wind-legal time of 13.30 seconds in the 100m dash.

Jessica Buss, Margaret Rusch, Lindsey Barnes – All 3 women ran personal bests in the 400m dash. Buss ran 1:01.15 to take 4^th place. Rusch ran 1:02.66, and Barnes ran 1:03.29.

Kirstie Ramsey – Took 2^nd place in the 1500m running just shy of her personal best at 4:53.58.

Caitlin Gorge – Finished the 5,000m run in a personal best time of 19:42.50.

Kelli Schneider – Triple jumped an outdoor personal best jump of 11.21m (36-9.5) to take 2^nd place.  

Grace Daehling – Threw a personal best in the javelin, 30.20m (99-1), to take 8^th place.