Issued: May 25, 2004

SEVEN QUALIFY FOR NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

EAU CLAIRE - Seven members of the UW-Eau Claire men's and women's track and field teams have been selected to compete in the 2004 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

Five of the seven members will be making their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

John Schuna (Jr.-Hudson) enters the championships qualifying in both the shot put and discus. The 2002 NCAA Indoor national champion and two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor champion in the shot put, Schuna will enter the weekend posting the second-longest through in the nation of 58-1.25. The throw broke the school record previously set by Schuna of 57-7 set in 2002. Schuna advances in the discus with a toss of 160-11 being one of 17 entrants to qualify in the event.

Joining Schuna for the men is Chris King (Jr.-Chippewa Falls/Chi-Hi), who will be one of 15 entries in the hammer throw. King solidified a spot in this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships with a toss of 181-5 at the St. Olaf Qualifier on May 15. Finishing sixth at the WIAC Outdoor Championships, King is one seven WIAC qualifiers who will compete this weekend.

Five Blugold women are set to qualify this weekend led by All-American Jen Stafslien (Jr.-Onalaska/West Salem). Stafslien earned indoor All-American status in the long jump and 55-meter hurdles in 2004 and returns to the outdoor championships after receiving All-American honors last year in the 100-meter hurdles. A two-time WIAC 100-meter hurdle champion, Stafslien enters preliminaries with the eighth-fastest time in the field of 14.65.

Ashley Nelson (Jr.-Darwin, MN/Litchfield) qualifies in the long jump with the second-best leap in the nation of 19-1.25. The first Blugold outdoor conference champion in the long jump since Heidi Hambuch in 1978, Nelson set two school records this season breaking the long jump record which had stood for 21 years and the 100-meter dash mark which now stands at 12.38. Nelson finished second in both the 100-meter dash and triple jump at the WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Joining Nelson in the long jump is Erin Kokta (Jr.-Brookfield/East). Kokta finished second behind Nelson at the WIAC Outdoor Championships in the long jump with a person-best 18-5 along with a third-place finish in the triple jump.

Melissa Wright (Sr.-Appleton/Kimberly) will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with the fourth-fastest time entering the event. Wright broke her own school record with a time of 10:44.20 at the Dr. Keeler Invitational hosted by North Central (IL) College. At the 2004 WIAC Outdoor Championships Wright finished second in the steeplechase and fifth in the 1,500-meter run. In 2003 Wright took third in the steeplechase at the WIAC Outdoor Championships.

Laura Tamm (Sr.-Brillion) qualifies in the discus in what looks to be a WIAC-dominated field. Tamm will be one of six WIAC competitors in qualify among the 19 entrants. A two-time medalists in the discuss three-time medalists in the javelin at the WIAC Outdoor Championships, Tamm finished fourth in the discus at the 2004 WIAC Championships and has the 11th-best throw in the championships covering 145-0.