Issued: March 10, 2004

TRACK SENDS THREE TO NATIONALS THIS WEEKEND

EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's indoor track and field teams will send three athletes to compete in five events at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday held on the campus of UW-Whitewater.

Jen Stafslien (Jr.-Onalaska/West Salem) will compete in three events after qualifying in the 55-meter hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump. Statslien posted the fourth best time in the 55-meter hurdles in the country this season with a time of 8.28 seconds. The time is just seven-tenths of a second away from the best time this season. The women's 55-meter hurdle event is set to start at 6:20 p.m. on Friday.

Stafslien will compete in the long jump on Friday at 11:00 a.m. and carries the fifth best jump in the country into the competition. She posted a jump of 18-1 on February 28 at the Pointer Invite in Stevens Point.

The third and final event Stafslien will compete in is the triple jump as she posted the 10th best jump in the country this season with a jump of 37-11 ¼. The event is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Melissa Wright (Sr.-Appleton/Kimberly) joins Stafslien at nationals from the women's team as she qualified in the 1500-meter run. Wright posted the 13th best time in the country in the event with a time of 4:41.83. The 1500-meter run is scheduled to begin at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday.

John Schuna (Jr.-Hudson) is the only member of the men's track and field team to make it to nationals as he will compete in the shot put. The 2002 Indoor Shot Put Champion posted the sixth best throw of the season, a 54-9 ¼ throw at the Warren Bowlus Open on February 7. The shot put competition is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Schuna was the 2002 National Champion in the shot put competition with a throw of 56-4.

Championships Web Site