2020 WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship
OSHKOSH (February 28, 2020) – UW-Stout's
Noah Zastrow attempted to be become the first WIAC pole vaulters to break 18-feet at the WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship, but did have to settle for a new conference record as the junior swept past the competition in the pole vault at the Kolf Sports Center Friday.
Zastrow won the event by more than a foot-and-a-half with a school and conference record mark of 17-feet, 8.25-inches. Zastrow broke his own school record and broke the conference record of 17-7.75 set by Mike Schnur of UW-La Crosse in 1996. Zastrow's nearest competition was Joe Vilas of host UW-Oshkosh who cleared 16-1.25. The mark improves on his nation-leading jump. Zastrow attempted to clear 18-feet, 0.50-inches.
Kevin Ruechel won his first conference title, tossing the shot put a personal-best 57-feet, 10.25-inches, beating his nearest competition by 18 inches. Jackson Sheckler of UW-Oshkosh was second at 56-4.
Brian Mathews finished fourth in the 5000-meter run in a time of 14:58.75.
Matthew Ryan was 15th (15:38.50).
Alec Benzinger placed seventh in the shot put (52-9.50) and
Max Johnson was 23rd (45-10).
Michael Fifield placed sixth in the mile run in a time of 4-minutes, 18.59-seconds.
Henry Hughes was 11th (4:22.32).
Parker Rongstad qualified to the finals of the 60-hurdles with an eighth-place finish in the preliminaries (8.44).
Hayden Wagner was 14th (8.71) and
Noah Beck was 15th (8.76).
Brent Heilman narrowly missed advancing to the finals in the 60m, clocking a time of 7.00, but finished ninth and edged out of the finals by .005-seconds. Mackenson Steinburg was 25th (7.26).
The distance medley relay team of
Trevin Nelson,
Keegan Pulchinski,
Owen Jelinek and
Ian Williams placed sixth (10:36.44).
Bobby Vang was 13th in the long jump (21-7.25).
Hawkin Petron was 13th in the pole vault (14-9.50) and
Jacob Backes was 16th (14-3.50).
Alec Varani and
Jack Kolar did not make their opening height.
After the first day of competition, Stout was fourth.
