RELEASED:  Saturday, March 1, 2008

Day One Recap

UW-La Crosse Captures Seventh Straight Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship

Superior, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse emerged from the 2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship with its seventh straight title on March 1 in UW-Superior’s Lydia Thering Fieldhouse.

The Eagles started the second day of competition in third-place, but won two events and compiled 105 team points to finish with 137.50 during the two-day event and claim the 33rd conference championship in program history. UW-Whitewater placed second with 125 points for the closest finish since the 1989 meet when UW-Oshkosh defeated UW-La Crosse 140.50-137.

UW-Oshkosh placed third this year with 104.50 points, UW-Platteville fourth with 101.50, UW-Stevens Point fifth with 100, UW-Eau Claire sixth with 68.50, UW-Stout seventh with 26, UW-River Falls eighth with 23 and UW-Superior ninth with 16.

Winning titles for UW-La Crosse were Matt Gordy and Dave Stauder.  Gordy claimed the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.46, while Stauder secured the high jump with a leap of 1.97m.

UW-Stevens Point’s Nicholas Ver Duin captured the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash with times of 22.13 and 49.39, respectively, while the Pointers’ 4x400-meter relay team posted a first-place time of 3:22.20.

UW-Oshkosh’s Willy Kaul won his second title of the championship with a performance of 8:37.95 in the 3,000-meter run.   He was victorious in the 5,000-meter run during the first day of events.

The Titans also received first-place efforts from James Simms in the triple jump (14.43m) and Phil Prusinski in the 35-pound weight throw (17.31m).

UW-Whitewater also had three individuals capture championships during the second day of events.  Jon Schellin claimed the 55-meter hurdles for the second straight year with a time of 7.60.

Aron Kehoe won the 800-meter run with a performance of 1:54.41 and Darin Kuhnke earned the heptathlon with 4,654 points.

UW-Platteville’s Tyler Sigl ran to a first-place time of 4:10.78 in the one-mile run, while UW-Eau Claire won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 1:30.85.

Day Two Event Champions:
55-Meter Dash:  Matt Gordy (UW-La Crosse), 6.46
200-Meter Dash:  Nicholas Ver Duin (UW-Stevens Point), 22.13
400-Meter Dash:  Nicholas Ver Duin (UW-Stevens Point), 49.39
800-Meter Run:  Aron Kehoe (UW-Whitewater), 1:54.41
One-Mile Run:  Tyler Sigl (UW-Platteville), 4:10.78
3,000-Meter Run:  Willy Kaul (UW-Oshkosh), 8:37.95
55-Meter Hurdles:  Jon Schellin (UW-Whitewater), 7.60
High Jump:  Dave Stauder (UW-La Crosse), 1.97m
Triple Jump:  James Simms (UW-Oshkosh), 14.43m
35-Pound Weight Throw:  Phil Prusinski (UW-Oshkosh), 17.31m
Heptathlon:  Darin Kuhnke (UW-Whitewater), 4,654 points

4x200-Meter Relay:  UW-Eau Claire, 1:30.85
4x400-Meter Relay:  UW-Stevens Point, 3:22.20

Track Performer of the Meet:  Nicholas Ver Duin of UW-Stevens Point
Field Performer of the Meet:  James Simms of UW-Oshkosh
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Jon Schellin of UW-Whitewater
Co-Coaches of the Year:  Don Fritsch of UW-La Crosse and Jim Nickasch of UW-Platteville