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Issued: May 4, 2004
LA CROSSE LOOKS FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIAC
WOMEN’S TITLE
EAU CLAIRE - The UW-La Crosse women's outdoor track and field team will once again test the competition of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as the Eagles look to claim their seventh straight WIAC Outdoor Championship at Simpson Athletic Field in Eau Claire.
La Crosse has finished in either first or second
place every year since 1992 and has won every title since
1998. Last season the Eagles squeaked out a three point victory,
edging UW-Stevens 192-189. La Crosse returns four conference
champions from a year ago, including two from the winning
4x400 meter relay team. Looking to repeat as conference champs
in individual events are Angela Klatt and
Angela Hilders. Klatt was crowned conference
champion in three events last year, winning the 100 and 200-meter
dashes while earning a victory as a member of the relay team.
Klatt has posted the seventh-best time in the country this
season in the 200 and the eight-best time in the 100.
Hilders will look to repeat in the pole vault
competition in her junior season. She has the fifth-best height
in the country in the pole vault this season. Teammate Julia
Rudd will look for a victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
after posting the eighth-best time in the country.
The Titans of UW-Oshkosh could be poised to
knock the champs off in 2004 as they return three conference
champions from 2003. Liz Woodworth has been
dominant in both the 800 and 1,500-meter runs this season,
posting the best time in the country in each event. She set
NCAA Division III records in each event this season. Julie
Hock returns looking to repeat as the women's heptathlon
champion. She has the seventh-best time in the country this
season. The Titans also return Kay Mikolajczak,
winner of the javelin throw competition at last season's championships.
Oshkosh appears strong in several field activities,
as Robyn Jarocki has posted top-three throws
in the country in the shot put, hammer throw and the discuss
throw. Teammate Penny Godleske has the third-best
distance in the hammer throw and Danielle Rankin
has the third-best throw in the shot put.
Host UW-Eau Claire could also make some noise
with several competitors finishing near the top in the country.
Jen Stafslien looks to repeat her 100-meter
hurdles victory from last year and is the only returning Blugold
conference champion. Stafslien has the fifth-best time in
the nation in the event.
Ashley Nelson had a phenomenal
spring and will look to earn conference victories in several
events. Nelson has the fifth-best jump in the country in the
long jump competition this season and is also in the top-20
in the triple jump. Nelson set a school record in the 100-meter
dash this season. Laura Tamm has the ninth-best
throw in the country in the discuss while Melissa
Wright is in the top-20 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
and the top-30 in the 1,500-meter run.
UW-Stevens Point will be looking for the WIAC
crown after narrowly missing the championship last season.
Jenna Mitchler has posted top-10 times in
the nation in the 800 and 1,500-meter runs while Julia
Slabosheski has the best throw in the country in
the discus competition. Ashleigh Potuznik
has provisionally qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
while Becky Clarke has done the same in the
javelin throw.
The rest of the schools involved at the WIAC
Championships combined for just 154.5 points at last year's
championships and earned no individual conference champs.
Jackie Mulrooney of UW-Platteville has posted
the seventh-best time in the country in the 10,000-meter run
while posting the ninth-best time in the country in the 5,000-meter
run. Shannon Zweifel of UW-River Falls has
the 15th-best time in the 400-meter hurdles while teammate
Jen Leis has the 14th-best throw in the discus
and the 20th-best hammer throw. Laura Verdegan
of UW-Stout has top-eight distances in the country in both
the long and triple jumps while UW-Whitewater's Beth
Proeber has the 12th-best hammer throw.
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