2021 WIAC Track and Field Championship |
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MENOMONIE (May 6, 2021) - It's been 15 months since the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) last held a track and field championship event, but the time to return to conference action is now with the WIAC Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships, presented by Culver's, scheduled for Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at UW-River Falls.
The 2020 indoor championships were contested, but the 2020 WIAC outdoor season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019 championship was held at UW-Platteville and the 2018 championship was hosted by UW-River Falls.
The Blue Devil women had a fourth place finish in the 2019 season and a fourth place finish during the 2018 season. The men are coming off a seventh place finish in 2019 and a fourth place finish during the 2018 season. Seedings in this story are based on the WIAC Honor Roll. |
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The Blue Devils return no champions from that 2019 championship, but six men return in the events they scored in in 2019 and two women return to compete in the events they tallied points in.
Noah Zastrow was runner-up in the 2019 championship in the pole vault, but is the odds-on favorite to win the event. The top-seeded vaulter in all of NCAA Division III, Zastrow is posting a national top height of 17-feet, 5.5-inches. Zastrow also placed eighth in the long jump in 2019 and this year is seeded ninth in the event after taking only two runs at the event in competition during the outdoor season.
At the 2019 outdoor championship,
Molly Perkins placed fifth in the 10,000-meter run and sixth in the 5,000-meter run. This year, Perkins is seeded third in the 10K (37:41.37) and sixth in the 5K (17:54.57).
Raelin Sorensen did not score at the 2019 outdoor championship in the high jump, but was third at both the 2018 indoor and outdoor championship and was second at the 2019 indoor meet. Sorensen placed fourth in the 400-meter dash at the 2019 outdoor meet and has qualified this year in the event.
Cody Lohrenz placed seventh in the 400-meter in 2019 and is seeded fifth (48.93) in 2021.
Bobby Vang was sixth in the long jump in 2019 and will compete in the event in 2021.
The Blue Devils should make a lot of noise in the weight events, both for the men and the women.
Kevin Ruechel returns after placing third in the shot put and fourth in the discus. The senior from Pulaski is currently the top seed in both events, coming in with a 56-3.25 in the shot and 174-9 in the discus.
Alec Benzinger placed seventh in the shot in 2019 and this year is seeded third in the shot put (53-9) and ninth in the discus (156-0). Both Ruechel and Benzinger are seeded in the top 15 in the hammer throw.
Jacob Bugella has dominated in the hammer (and indoor weight throw) this year. Bugella took last season off after a seventh place hammer finish in 2019 and the strategy has worked well for the Rice Lake native who is currently the WIAC top seed in the hammer by more than 12 feet, marking a toss of 200-1 last weekend at the Norse Invitational. Bugella is currently ranked third nationally, trailing the top seed by eight inches. The only meet this season, both in the indoor weight throw and the outdoor hammer throw, Bugella has not finished first was at the Drake Relays.
Mackenzie Huber was a senior in high school when the Blue Devils last competed at a conference outdoor championship. The sophomore, who earned indoor All-America honors last year, is currently seeded sixth in the shot put (44-2.5).
Demi Ploor sat out last season, but this season has been making leaps and bounds in the hammer throw (158-11) and the javelin (109-4), where she is currently seeded ninth in both, and in the shot put (42-11), where she is seeded 10th.
Hannah Zastrow was only a junior in high school when Stout last competed at an outdoor conference championship, but the freshman from Spencer is seeded second in the high jump (5-6.50) and eighth in the 100-hurdles (15.03).
Brent Heilman, who captured the 200-meter indoor title in 2020, is the top seed in the 200 outdoor at UW-River Falls (21.37). He will also compete in the 100-meter.
Matthew Ryan is seeded fifth in the 5K (14:47.17) and fourth in the 10K (30:55.90).
Brian Mathews is seeded 10th in the 10K (32:20.05).
Carter Wente is seeded eighth in the 110-hurdles (15.26) and
Noah Beck is seeded 10th in the 400-hurdles.
Jack Roeber is seeded sixth in the triple jump (46-9).
Mason Barth is seeded seventh in the decathlon (5787),
Hayden Zachgo is seeded ninth (5484) and
Brandon Dick 10th (5404).
Competition at UW-River Falls' Ramer Field will begin at 1 p.m. on May 7, and 9:30 a.m. on May 8. Medals will be awarded to the top-eight finishers in each of the individual events and the runners comprising the top-six relay teams.
