Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's and women's track and field teams began their 2025 outdoor season at the Ashton May Invitational at UW-La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium. The men's team emerged victorious, securing the team title, while the women's team finished in third place.

The UW-Eau Claire men's team accumulated 162 points to claim the top position in a field that included two NCAA Division I schools. The women collected 96.5 points, falling behind only UW-La Crosse and Milwaukee.

The Blugolds saw two of their athletes achieve double victories. Yakob Ekoue, a senior from Hopkins, Minnesota and a three-time national champion, won both the men's discus and hammer throw. Junior Kylee Grabarski from Waunakee, Wisconsin, who recently earned All-America honors in the indoor season, won the women's 400-meter race and contributed to the triumph in the 4x400-meter relay.

In the men's events, the 4x100-meter relay team consisting of Ben Skellenger, Lucas Porcell, Johnny Botsch, and Paul Missiaen clocked 47.02 seconds. Sam Verkerke won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:35.59, and Stefan Klechefski took first in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 10.52 seconds. Yakob Ekoue's victories came with a discus throw of 52.54 meters and a hammer throw of 54.61 meters. Adam Strouf won the shot put with a throw of 17.59 meters.

For the women, the 4x100-meter relay comprising Hope Schueller, Allyson Kakes, Libby Huber, and Sophia Crespo achieved a time of 47.89 seconds. Grabarski clocked 57.62 seconds in the 400-meter run, and the 4x400-meter relay team of Mya Cinnamo, Michaela Dick, Lauren Jex, and Kylee Grabarski finished with a time of 3:56.36.

Meanwhile, two-time national champion Mitch Stegeman from Coleman, Wisconsin/Suring represented the Blugolds at the University of Arizona’s Jim Click Shootout and Multis. Competing against mostly high-level Division I athletes, Stegeman placed 10th in the decathlon.

The Blugolds will continue their season at the UW-Platteville Invitational on April 11-12. Followers can stay updated on their performances by visiting Blugolds.com, using the Blugold Sports app, or following their social media channels on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.