Chippewa Valley Times

The 2024 NCAA Division III Track & Field Outdoor Championships commenced on Thursday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire athletes made their mark with notable performances.

Yakob Ekoue from Hopkins, Minnesota, secured the national championship in discus with a throw measuring 55.20 meters. This achievement was particularly significant as it surpassed Steven Hermsen of Carroll by 0.06 meters. Ekoue's victory marked his third national title, reversing last year's outcome where he finished second to Hermsen.

Kayla Behnke from Appleton, Wisconsin/Kimberly, also excelled by earning her third career All-American placement with a fourth-place finish in the discus event at 46.66 meters.

In addition to individual successes, the men's 4x400 relay team advanced to the finals after their preliminary round performance. The team comprising Kevin Eisenzimmer (Mineral Point), Colin McClowry (Neenah), Izaak Clendenning (Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln), and Josiah Ziebell (Mauston) completed their run in ninth place overall with a time of 3:12.60.

Competition continued robustly in both the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon events. Max Foland from Middleton currently holds third place with 3644 points while defending champion Mitch Stegeman from Coleman/Suring is fifth with 3636 points. For the women, Emilee Booker from Genoa City/Badger stands seventh with 3012 points; Jane Kautz from Port Washington and Lauryn Rustad from Perham are placed eleventh and twelfth respectively.

The championships will proceed into day two featuring final multi events along with shot put, 100m preliminaries, and the 3000-meter steeplechase starting at 11 a.m. CT.

For continuous updates on Blugolds' progress throughout the season visit Blugolds.com or download the Blugold Sports app.