2021 UW-Stout Women's Track and Field Preview

MENOMONIE (February 5, 2021) – The 2021 UW-Stout women's track and field schedule and season will look a little different. But what else is new about competing during a pandemic?
 
The schedule itself will look different. Instead of competing in multi-team meets, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has opted to run the majority of events in a dual format. Stout will open by hosting UW-River Falls, Saturday, Feb. 6, followed by UW-Eau Claire, Feb. 13, and UW-La Crosse, Feb. 20. Spectators will not be allowed on site, although many of the WIAC schools will be providing some sort of livestream coverage.
 
Masks will be required, including during competition, and competitors will be shuttled in and out of the competition area to keep numbers in the facilities as low as possible and within COVID-19 protocols.
 
The WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship has been canceled and the NCAA announced Wednesday that all NCAA Division III winter championships have been canceled, including indoor track and field.
 
After all of those ups and down, UW-Stout coach Kyle Steiner is still excited there will be a season, even if it is a different look, and has been pleased with the cooperation among coaches across the league.
Steiner has seen conference coaches working closely together to give the student-athletes the best experience they can. 
 
"There has been a lot of collaboration among coaches," Steiner said about setting up the series of dual meets. "Our goal has been to give our athletes the best opportunities to compete at a high level." 
 
About his 2021 squad, Steiner said he is pleased with the effort the team has been giving all school year.
 
"This is a small group, but with good talent," Steiner said. "I am proud of this team."
 
The throwers will be led by sophomore Mackenzie Huber, who qualified to the national meet last year, Demi Ploor, who returns after an injury, and sophomore Payton Schneider.
 
"Mackenzie has picked up right where she left off," Steiner said. "Actually, she is ahead in both the shot put and the weight throw."
 
Huber was named the WIAC newcomer of the year after placing second at the conference championship in the shot put. Her top shot put mark of 45-7.75 is tops on the Stout all-freshman list by two feet.
 
Ploor, also a member of the Blue Devil volleyball team, will step away from competing in the pole vault and will compete in the throws.
 
"Demi is just crushing the shot put," Steiner said, "getting a three-foot personal best at our intra-squad meet."
 
Steiner said Schneider is working hard in the weight throw and make "giant strides."
 
Senior captain Kami Sawtelle has been dealing with some injuries, and should be ready for the outdoor season where her strength is the discus.
 
Terra McMahon came up just short of qualifying to the national meet last year in the long jump when she set a freshman record in the event when she marked an 18-foot, 2.5-inch mark in winning the event at the Titan Invitational. McMahon was fifth at the conference meet in the long jump. McMahon will also run as one of the team's top sprinters.
 
Senior Shelby Larson is having the best start of her career, Steiner said, marking both personal bests at the intra-squad meet in the long and triple jumps.
 
In the high jump, Raelin Sorensen will return for her final season, but only for the outdoor season. A team captain who also competes in the sprints and the relays, Sorensen was runner-up in the high jump at the 2019 indoor conference meet and third at the 2018 outdoor meet.
 
Freshman Hannah Zastrow will compete in the multi-events and will also compete in the open pole vault. Steiner said that Zastrow's top events are the high jump and hurdles.
 
Caitlin Harrison returns as the Blue Devils' top hurdler, after setting the school freshman record in the 60-hurdles.
 
Senior Davia Clarke will join McMahon as one of the team's top performers in the shorter sprints.
 
Senior Emma Bullard returns with a lot of conference experience and a lot of relay experience, as she wraps up her career in the 200-400-meter range. Sophomore Kylie Lehman has opened up with faster times this preseason than last year. Junior Grace Maurer, who is also a member of the Blue Devil volleyball team, runs very well in the 200-400 range. Raelin Sorensen will provide additional depth and experience during the outdoor season.
 
Sydney Reisner and Isabella Jewell will provide a solid force in the mid-distances. Molly Perkins returns to the distance running crew after a school year off of track and cross country.
 
Perkins last competed during the 2019 track and field seasons, placing seventh at the conference indoor championship in the 5000-meter, sixth in the 5000 and fifth in the 10,000-meter at the outdoor championship.
 
"Molly has been training really, really well," said Steiner.
 
Katie Brockman, Dalie Thomas, Rachel Jackson and Breanna Reinhart will provide depth in the distance events.