UW-Oshkosh Captures Titan Challenge Title
Naji Allan set a school record in the 60-meter dash to lead UW-Oshkosh's five first-place performances at the Titan Men's Track & Field Challenge held Saturday (Feb. 21) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh claimed the team title with 208 points, while St. Norbert College finished second with 151.5. Carroll University placed third in the four-team meet with 98.5 points while Beloit College ranked fourth with 47.
Allan won the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.86 seconds. His sprint defeated 25 other contestants.
Mitch Pauers, who recorded a time of 1:58.06 in the 800-meter run, and Ryne Scopp, who registered a time of 8:39.31 in the 3,000-meter run, were the other UW-Oshkosh winners on the track.
In the field, UW-Oshkosh received first-place efforts from Zachary Baehman in the shot put and Devan Gertschen in the pole vault. Baehman marked a measurement of 57-4 1/4 while Gertschen leaped to a height of 14-4. Baehman also finished second in the 35-pound weight throw with a distance of 51-8 1/2.
The Titans' Dominic Ebube contributed a pair of second-place finishes by calculating measurements of 21-5 1/2 in the long jump and 42-6 in the triple jump.
Kallen Bentz's time of 22.57 seconds in the 200-meter dash, Charlend Howard's time of 4:28.24 in the mile run, Ryan Paulick's mark of 50-7 1/4 in the shot put and Derrick Rufer's time of 1:58.18 in the 800-meter run completed UW-Oshkosh's list of second-place finishers. Paulick also finished fourth in the 35-pound weight throw with a distance of 45-11 3/4.
UW-Oshkosh had six third-place finishes, including four on the track. Luke Geffers logged a time of 4:38.28 in the mile run, while Nolan Peterson went 7.17 seconds in the 60-meter dash, Charlie Scott 1:58.26 in the 800-meter run and Reid Zanoya 49.47 seconds in the 400-meter run.
The Titans' third-place mentions in the field went to Scott Heinz in the 35-pound weight throw and Matt McMullen in the pole vault. Heinz marked a cast of 51-3 while McMullen sprung to a height of 13-10. Heinz also finished sixth in the shot put with a distance of 44-4 3/4.
UW-Oshkosh concluded its fourth-place finishes with Effa Hunter's mark of 21-0 in the long jump, Daniel Massey's time of 1:59.62 in the 800-meter run, Jaron Olson's time of 7.2 seconds in the 60-meter dash and the 5-10 12 height of both Dakota Griffith and Travis Maciosek in the high jump.
Kevin Caufield earned two of UW-Oshkosh's fifth-place finishes. He ran to a time of 9.4 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles while springing to a height of 13-4 1/2 in the pole vault. Caufield's ranking in the pole vault was shared with UW-Oshkosh teammate Mitchell Hassey.
Also finishing fifth for the Titans were Marcus Maier in the 60-meter dash and Bryce Mancheski in the long jump. Maier posted a time of 7.22 seconds while Mancheski marked a leap of 20-2 1/2.
Rounding out UW-Oshkosh's sixth-place finishes were Bentz in the 400-meter run with a time of 50.18 seconds, Caufield with a distance of 19-2 1/4 in the long jump, Garrison Griest with a time of 9.67 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles and Brian McKnight with a time of 16:16.98 in the 5,000-meter run.
UW-Oshkosh finished fifth in the 1,600-meter relay as Griest, Olson, Peterson and Dan Trimner ran to a time of 3:58.76.
The Titans were also represented at Saturday's Eastbay Invitational in Stevens Point.
UW-Oshkosh had just five entries in the meet and still managed to finish sixth out of 15 teams with 32 points. Host UW-Stevens Point won the team title with 145.5 points.
UW-Oshkosh's Nick Grosskopf won the 35-pound weight throw with a distance of 55-10 1/4 while placing third in the shot put with a mark of 55-3. The Titans' distance medley relay team of Brian Beaudo, Roberto Lara, Justin Skinkis and Joe Zack earned the meet's best time with a performance of 9:57.00.
The Titans' Mike Heinz added a fourth-place measurement of 54-6 in the 35-pound weight throw and an eighth-place cast of 50-6 3/4 in the shot put.
UW-Oshkosh participates at the WIAC Indoor Track & Field Championship next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 27-28) in Platteville.