Three take top honors at the Phil Esten Challenge at UW-La Crosse

Phil Esten Challenge Results

LA CROSSE (April 23, 2022) - Jacob Bugella, Jacob Backes, and Kevin Ruechel captured top honors in the their individual events as UW-Stout competed at the Phil Esten Challenge hosted by UW-La Crosse at Veteran's Memorial Stadium Saturday.

Bugella won the hammer with a toss of 194-feet, 0-inches, his second best mark of the season. Ruechel won the shot put wit ha mark of 57-9.50, his second best mark of the season, and Backes set a career-best when he cleared 16-feet for the first time during competition in the hammer, winning the event with an even 16-foot vault.

Kaden Martin placed second in the 110-hurdles with a career-best time of 14.55 seconds, taking off nearly four-tenths of a second from his previous best, a time that is second-best on the school all-time list. 

Nate Karau was third in the javelin (167-8) and finished ninth in the hammer by taking nearly 14 feet off his previous best mark with a throw of 158-0. Grant Magnuson was fourth in the 800-meter with a career-best time of 1-minute, 53.59.

Mason Barth was third in the decathlon with 6,436 points, far exceeding his previous best total of 5,888 points. Barth was 10th in the decathlon after the first day of the event. 

Jack Roeber was fourth in long jump (23-2). Daniel Nesja was sixth in the triple jump (45-2.50). Logan Garski was fifth in the hammer (168-8). 

Spencer Schultz placed fourth in the 10,000-meter run in the event that was run Thursday, in a time of 29-minutes, 54.50-seconds, coming within 20 seconds of the school record of 29:35.78 set by Tim Nelson in 2012. 

In the discus, contested Friday, Karau finished fourth (143-1), Ruechel fifth (143-0) and Bugella eighth (133-3), 

Stout will be at the Gustavus Adolpus College Drake Alternative, Saturday, April 30. 

Phil Esten Challenge
First place, all UW-Stout finishers
100: Hayden Wagner 10.91; 17. Carter Wente 11.08; Mackenson Steinberg 11.12; Mason Slag 11.36; 34. Nathan Skroch 11.50; 35. Adam Szepieniec 11.63; 400: 1. Londyn Little (Osh) 48.73; 8. Owen Jelinek 50.22; 27. Keegan Pulchinski 52.43; 30. John Hess 52.76; 800: 1. Wyatt Schmidt (Wartburg) 1:52.16; 4. Grant Magnuson 1:53.59;  10,000; 1. 4. Spencer Schultz  29:54.50; 12. Matthew Ryan 30:53.67; 36. Max Fore 32:32.23; 38. Christian Manthey 32:33.93; 53. Matthew Thomas 33:17.74; 66.  Andrew Carlson 34:34.46; 67. Damon Zielke 34:40.61. 3000-steeplechase: 1.Christopher Collet (Wartburg) 9:02.87; 17. Cade Hanson 9:52.39; 26. Max Bailey 10:12.91; 30. Alex Suelflow 10:20.07; 110-hurdles: 1. Jared Schrang (SP) 14.49; 2.Kaden Martin 14.55; 7. Carter Wente 15.39; 

Pole vault: 1. Jacob Backes (Stout) 16-0; 14. Michael Volz 14-0.50; 18. Jacob Tomazevic 13-6.50; Long jump: 1. Dameco Walker (Ripon) 24-10; 4. Jack Roeber 23-2; 14. Francis Kaunda 20-11.75; 17. Jakes Asembo 20-7.25; 18. Jonathan Loera 20-2.50; 19. Bobby Vang 20-1.50; 21. Adam Szepieniec 19-11.75; 25. Frank Ochtrup-Dekeyrel 19-7; 27. Amareon Allen 19-4.75; Triple jump: 1. Leslie Fisher (Osh) 47-7.75; 6. Daniel Nesja 45-2.50; 9. Jakes Asembo 43-7.25; 11. Simon Lual 42-11.75; 16. Jonathan Loera 41-8.75; Shot put: 1. Kevin Ruechel (Stout) 57-9.50; 11. Karter Rashke 45-9.75; 15. Logan Garski 43-9.75; 17. Derek Millard 43-3.25; 26. Anthony Kuehl 41-1.50; 28. Cody Jantzen 39-7.75; 32. John Nicpon 37-11.50;  Discus: 1. Yakob Ekoue 165-8; 4. Nate Karau 143-1; 5. Kevin Ruechel 143-0; 8.  Jacob Bugella 133-3; 13.  Anthony Kuehl 128-11; 14.  Connor Walechka 125-9; 17. Isaac Kraus 122-3; 20.  Derek Millard 116-7; 21.  John Nicpon 116-3; 26. Karter Rashke 108-10; 35. Ashton Rightler 101-7;  Cody Jantzen 100-5. Hammer: 1. Jacob Bugella (Stout) 194-0; 5. Logan Garski 168-8; 9. Nate Karau 158-0; 11. Anthony Kuehl 157-5; 12. Kevin Ruechel 154-3; 24. Isaac Kraus 133-11; 29. John Nicpon 130-6; 30. Derek Millard 128-3; 41. Karter Rashke 109-0; 43. Ashton Rightler 107-1; 47. Cody Jantzen 98-11;  Javelin: 1. Matt Egts (Wartburg) 173-2; 3. Nate Karau 167-8; 15. Nathan Skroch 134-4; 23. Jack Roeber 124-3; 25. Logan Muffick 119-6; 27. Michael Volz 115-6; 

Decathlon: 1. Abraham Schroedl (EC) 6743 pts; 3. Mason Barth 6436; 8. Brandon Dick 5708; 12. Hayden Zachgo 5206;