Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's and women's track and field teams both secured second place at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Outdoor Championships, held at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Several athletes from the University emerged as conference champions on the final day of the competition.

The men's team accumulated 149 points, and the women's team gathered 148.16 points. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse took home both the men's and women's titles.

Among the standout performers, Blake Postler, Yakob Ekoue, and Adam Strouf won WIAC titles on the competition's last day. Postler secured first place in the men's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.60 seconds, marking his first outdoor conference title with the Blugolds. Ekoue set a new WIAC Championships record in the men's discus with a throw of 58.45 meters. Strouf won the men's shot put with a distance of 18.04 meters.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire also had several top-three finishers, earning numerous all-conference honors. Notable performances in the men's division included Postler's achievement as the runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles and Ekoue's second place in the shot put. Sam Verkerke finished third in the 1,500 meters, while Stefan Klechefski took third in the 100-meter dash and second in the 200-meter dash. Jack Hesse-Withbroe finished second in the 5,000 meters.

For the women, Lauren Dimler claimed second in the heptathlon, while Emilee Booker was the runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles. Kylee Grabarski placed second in the 400-meter, and Mya Cinnamo finished as the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles. In the 200-meter dash, Allyson Kakes secured second place. The women's 4x400-meter relay team, comprising McKenzie Kruse, Mya Cinnamo, Annabelle Eaton, and Lauren Jex, also achieved a second-place finish.

"This was an outstanding team effort, and I am incredibly proud of our student-athletes' performances," a spokesperson for the University said.

The next competition for some Blugold athletes will be the St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite on May 9, while others will participate in the UW-La Crosse Eagle Open on the same day.