MENOMONIE (July 2, 2021) - The team awards for the 2021 men's and women's track and field teams were announced recently by head coach
Kyle Steiner.
Men's most valuable track performer went to sprinter
Brent Heilman (Jr, West Salem) and women's most valuable track performer went to
Hannah Zastrow (Fr, Spencer0, who also earned women's rookie of the year honors and the women's anchor award.
Heilman finished second at the WIAC Outdoor Championship in the 200-meter and qualified to the national meet in the 200m, just missing the finals, and as a member of the 4x400-relay team. Heilman placed seventh in the 100-meter at the WIAC outdoor championship and fifth as a member of the 4x100-relay. Throughout the year, Heilman set career-best marks in the 60m (6.93 seconds), the 100m (10.83) and the 200m (21.37).
Zastrow set school records in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 100-meter hurdles. Zastrow earned All-America honors in the 100-hurdles, finishing fifth at the national meet after coming into the event seeded 12th. Zastrow finished second in the high jump at the WIAC Championship and qualified to the NCAA Championship in the event, finishing 13th. Zastrow also competed throughout the year in the various short sprints.
Most valuable men's field performer award was shared by
Kevin Ruechel (Sr, Pulaski) and
Noah Zastrow (Sr, Spencer). Both Ruechel and Zastrow earned first place finishes at the NCAA Division III Championship and the WIAC Outdoor Championship, Ruechel in the shot put and Zastrow in the pole vault. Ruechel also competed in the weight throw indoors, and the hammer throw and discus outdoors. He qualified to the national meet in the discus. Zastrow set the school records for both the indoor and outdoor pole vault and was the nation's top seeded pole vaulter indoor and outdoor. Zastrow also competed in the long jump, placing fifth at the WIAC outdoor championship.
Mackenzie Huber (So, Colby), who earned All-America honors in the shot put with a seventh place finish, received the field events most valuable performer award, as well as the most improved field event performer. Huber was fifth in the shot put at the WIAC outdoor championship. Huber competed in the weight throw indoors and the hammer throw outdoors.
Jacob Bugella (Jr, Rice Lake) was selected as the most improved men's field performer after dominating the indoor 35-lb weight throw and posting the top distance nationally in the event. Bugella earned All-America honors in the outdoor hammer throw, finishing second nationally, and was the WIAC outdoor hammer champion..
Carter Wente (So, Porter, Minn) and
Kiley Lehman (So, Barron) earned most improved men's and women's, respectively, track honors. Wente did the gamut of short sprints and hurdles competing in the 60-meter dash, the 60-meter hurdles, the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 110-hurdles and the 400-hurdles, as well as the 4x100-relay outdoors. At the WIAC Outdoor Championship, Wente finished seventh in the 110-hurles and fifth as a member of the 4x100-relay team. Lehman earned a couple of trips to the podium at the WIAC Outdoor Championship, finishing seventh in the 400-meter and finishing fourth as a member of the 4x400-relay team.
Jack Roeber (Fr, Shoreview, Minn) earned men's team rookie of the year honors. Roeber specialized in the horizontal jumps, landing on the awards podium at the WIAC outdoor championship in both the long jump (sixth) and triple jump (seventh). In Roeber's first collegiate meet, he won the triple jump, breaking 45-feet.
Distance runner
Spencer Schultz (So, Rosemount, Minn) received the men's anchor award. Schultz finished third at the WIAC Championship in the 5000-meter.
2021 UW-Stout Track and Field Team Awards
Men's Rookie:
Jack Roeber
Women's Rookie: Hannah Zastrow
Men's Most Improved Track: Carter Wente
Women's Most Improved Track: Kiley Lehman
Men's Most Improved Field: Jacob Bugella
Women's Most Improved Field:
Mackenzie Huber
Men's MVP Track: Brent Heilman
Women's MVP Track: Hannah Zastrow
Men's MVP Field:
Kevin Ruechel and
Noah Zastrow (co)
Women's MVP Field: Mackenzie Huber
Men's Anchor: Spencer Schultz
Women's Anchor: Hannah Zastrow
