Issued: May 6, 2004

TRACK READY FOR WIAC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will be looking to make some noise when they host the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at Simpson Athletic Field.

The Blugold women are looking to improve on fourth-place finishes at the Championships each of the past two seasons. Last year Eau Claire made a huge jump in the point standings, scoring 86.50 points in 2002 and jumping to 158 points last year. Several individuals from the women's team have good shots at conference championships in different events, including Ashley Nelson (Jr.-Darwin, MN/Litchfield). Nelson has the conference's best long jump of the year, posting a distance of 18-7 ¾ on April 17. Nelson is also second in the conference in the triple jump (37-8 ¾) and the 100-meter dash (12.38 seconds). She set the school record in the 100-meter dash and the long jump this year. Teammate Erin Kokta (Jr.-Brookfield/East) is third in both the long jump and triple jump, giving the Blugolds plenty of opportunity to put up big scores in the jumping events.

Jen Stafslien (Jr.-Onalska/West Salem) will look for a victory in the 100-meter hurdles after posting the best time in the conference (14.65). She will also compete in the long and triple jumps.

Melissa Wright (Sr.-Appleton/Kimberly) will be competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 1,500-meter run with top-four finishes in conference this season. She finished third in the steeplechase (11:16.11) and fourth in the 1,500 (4:41.68) in conference this year.

Laura Tamm (Sr.-Brillion) is also competing in two events after finishing in the top-nine in both the discus and the javelin throw. Tamm is fourth in the conference in the discus (145-00) and ninth in the javelin (107-40).

Danielle Brabender (So.-Cottage Grove/Monona Grove) claimed fourth place this season in the high jump with a jump of 5-03 ¾ while Betsy Kaminske (Fr.-Waupaca) brings the fifth best pole vault into the competition with a height of 10-11 ¾.

The Blugold men will be looking to climb into the upper ranks of the conference after taking seventh place last year with 54 points. Leading the Blugolds is thrower extraordinaire John Schuna (Jr.-Hudson). Schuna set the Eau Claire school record in the shot put this season with a conference best throw of 58-1 ¼. The throw is more than six feet further than the second place throw. Schuna will also look to turn some heads in the discus after posting the conference's sixth best throw of 160-11. Fellow Blugold thrower Chris King (Jr.-Chippewa Falls) will join Schuna in the discus after the seventh best throw in the conference (155-2) and the sixth best throw in the hammer throw (180-3).

Ben Schmiege (Sr.-Madison/Lakeside Lutheran) will compete in the 1,500-meter run after recording the fifth fastest time in the conference (3:56.19).

Eric Johnson (So.-Schofield/D.C. Everest) will compete in both the long and triple jumps this weekend, posting the eight best jump in the conference in the long jump and the 11th best in the triple jump.

Shaun Marek (Jr.-Waunakee) will join Johnson in both events. He has the sixth best triple jump in the WIAC this season and the 10th best long jump.

The event kicks off at noon on Friday with three different women's field events.

WIAC Championships Web Site