Day One of WIAC Championships Feature Two Champions for Pioneers
WHITEWATER, Wis. – On day one of the 2023 WIAC Outdoor Championships hosted by UW-Whitewater, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville track and field teams posted several impressive finishes, including two conference champions. The Pioneers men’s team currently sits in fifth with 21 points while the women are eighth with three points.
WHITEWATER, Wis. – On day one of the 2023 WIAC Outdoor Championships (presented by Culver's) hosted by UW-Whitewater, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville track and field teams posted several impressive finishes, including two conference champions. The Pioneers men's team currently sits in fifth with 21 points while the women are eighth with three points.
Men's Highlights
Sophomore Will Lawrence needed just one throw to win the javelin as he posted a mark of 62.07m (203' 8") to finish atop the podium. Lawrence also set a new WIAC Championship record in the event, surpassing the previous record of 61.00m (200' 1") set back in 1993. Sophomore Sam LaPean joined Lawrence on the podium with an eighth-place finish at 46.85m.
Senior Justin Eichler became the second Pioneers champion on Friday, winning the hammer throw at 62.58m (205' 4"). The throw is a new UW-Platteville record, breaking Eichler's own mark from a year ago by over two meters.
In the running prelims, senior Cole Stugelmeyer advanced to tomorrow's finals in the 110m hurdles behind a time of 14.60 seconds, which was good for second on the day. Sophomore Dale Yerges
Sophomores Spencer Vanek and Zach Zenner both narrowly missed trips to the finals. Vanek ran a PR in the 400m at 49.27 for 10th, while Zenner finished 11th in the 800m with a time of 1:55.59.
Freshman Parker Douglas was nearly the third Pioneer on the podium in the javelin as he finished ninth with a mark of 46.81m.
In the 10000m, senior Caleb Christiansen took 10th, running a time of 31:43.71.
In the decathlon, sophomore Dale Yerges sits in 16th following the first five events. He took sixth in the 400m (50.96 seconds) and 10th in the 100m (11.24 seconds) to highlight his performance so far.
Women's Highlights
Senior Paulina Wienke tallied a pair of points for the Pioneers with her seventh-place finish in the hammer throw. Wienke posted a mark of 48.25m on her second throw of the day to record a podium finish.
In the long jump, junior Alexis Healey placed eighth behind a leap of 5.18m. Sophomore Brynlee Nelson took ninth in the same event, leaping 5.13m.
Senior Kaitlyn Galgon will advance to tomorrow's finals in the 800m after she ran a time of 2:15.17 and finished seventh. Nelson clinched a spot in the 400m finals on Saturday with a mark of 59.15 seconds for ninth.
Junior Natalie Kreier ran her first career 10,000m and took 14th with a time of 39:51.60.
Day two of the WIAC Championships will continue tomorrow with events scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
