Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's track and field team achieved a significant milestone by finishing as national runner-up at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships held at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. This marks the fifth time in the program's history that the Blugolds have secured second place.

With a team score of 56, UW-Eau Claire recorded its fourth-highest score ever at the outdoor national championships. Meanwhile, UW-La Crosse claimed the national title with a score of 84. The Blugolds have consistently performed well over recent years, finishing in the top six for each of the last six NCAA Outdoor Championships and placing first or second four times during this period.

On the final day of competition, UW-Eau Claire earned six first-team All-America honors. Yakob Ekoue from Hopkins, Minnesota, led with a third-place finish in hammer throw, bringing his career total to 13 All-America honors. Ekoue also won a national title in discus over the weekend.

Sam Verkerke from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, became a two-time All-American by finishing fifth in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:50.27. He was previously a national champion in this event in 2022.

Stefan Klechefski from Roberts, Wisconsin/River Falls earned his second All-America honor by placing sixth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.47 seconds.

Blake Postler from Weston, Wisconsin/D.C. Everest achieved his first outdoor All-America honor by finishing fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.71 seconds. Johnny Botsch from Brookfield, Wisconsin/East also became an All-American for the first time by securing seventh place in pole vault with a height of 4.95 meters.

The Blugolds' relay team consisting of Jackson Schulz from Sussex, Wisconsin/Arrowhead; Colin McClowry from Neenah, Wisconsin; Connor Jankuski from Glenbeulah, Wisconsin/Plymouth; and Klechefski finished seventh in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.94 seconds to earn All-America status.

Mason Shea from River Falls, Wisconsin also competed on Saturday and finished 21st in the 5,000-meter run.

Over three days of competition, UW-Eau Claire men achieved two national championships and delivered thirteen first-team All-America performances.