LaMere, Walden and Depies earn All-WIAC honors

ETTRICK, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Ian LaMere, Joel Walden and Kiera Depies earned all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) honors on Saturday at the WIAC Championships, hosted by UW-La Crosse at the Ettrick Golf Course. 

The 24th-ranked men's team totaled 99 points, good for third place, and finished behind conference champion and second-ranked UW-Eau Claire (36) and No. 5 UW-La Crosse (47). 

Individually, sophomore LaMere ran a personal best time of 24:40, finishing in fifth-place and earning first team all-conference. He was eight-tenths of a second from finishing in fourth.  Senior Walden also earned first team honors by placing seventh with a time of 24:53. Senior Sam Poser finished the 8k course in 25:46, good for 27th-place. Ethan Shanks posted a time of 25:48, followed by sophomore Jason Winchel, who rounded out the Poineers' top-five with a time of 25:58. 

On the women's side, the Pioneers finished in seventh with 161 points, as host UW-La Crosse took the team crown with 32.

Junior Depies led the Pioneers with her third straight all-WIAC honor. She crossed the finish line in 22:59, good for 17th-place and earned honorable mention honors. Sophomore Chelsey Heiden placed in 37th with a time of 23:44, while junior Andrea Knutson posted a time of 23:54. Allison Wells finished the 6k race in 24:02, and junior Ashlynne Wampfler rounded the team's top-five with a time of 24:12. 

The Pioneers will send runners to the Wisconsin Open on Nov. 8, while the top performers will get ready for the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 15.