Titans Defeat Blugolds In Battle Of Nationally Ranked Programs
UW-Oshkosh won 10 of 15 events to defeat UW-Eau Claire, 85-64, in a dual meet involving a pair of nationally ranked men's track & field programs on Saturday (Feb. 27) in Kolf Sports Center.
The Titans entered the contest ranked second in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Rating Index compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and the Blugolds 14th.
UW-Oshkosh's Aaron McCarroll-Richardson entered this season's Division III top-15 performance list in three categories on Saturday as he won the 200-meter dash while finishing third in the 60-meter dash and running the fourth leg of the Titans' first-place 1,600-meter relay.
McCarroll-Richardson recorded the nation's fourth-fastest time in the 200-meter dash with his winning run of 22.12 seconds. He defeated 21 other contestants, including UW-Oshkosh's Jaylin Boatman and Robert Ogbuli who finished second and third with times of 22.24 and 22.46 seconds, respectively. Boatman moved to sixth nationally following his time from the race.
In the 60-meter dash, McCarroll-Richardson finished third among the event's 14 participants with a time of 6.99 seconds. His sprint is now the 14th fastest in Division III this season. The Titans swept the top four listing in Saturday's 60-meter dash as Jaylen Grant finished first with a time of 6.93 seconds, Boatman second in 6.97 and Ogbuli fourth in 7.02.
McCarroll-Richardson also helped UW-Oshkosh's Adrian Girone, Ryan Potter and Amitai Wheat earn the nation's second-fastest time in the 1,600-meter relay at 3:19.30. UW-Eau Claire finished second in the race with a time of 3:20.49.
In addition to the 60-meter dash, UW-Oshkosh registered the top four performances in the 3,000-meter run and long jump
Titan Steven Potter won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:44.46 while teammates Jason Ford finished second in 8:49.55, Cody Witthun third in 9:17.85 and Andrew Strasser fourth in 9:18.36.
The long jump had Titans Jamyle Brantley finish first with a leap of 22-10, Joshua Rivers second at 22-2 1/4, Payton White third at 20-9 and Johnny Auer fourth at 19-8 3/4.
UW-Oshkosh's Jackson Sheckler and Ryan Potter also etched their name in this season's Division III Top 15 Honor Roll. Sheckler moved into 10th with his winning measurement of 52-8 in the shot put and Potter 11th with his first-place time of 49.84 seconds in the 400-meter run.
Other event winners for the Titans were Mason Resch in the 35-pound weight throw with a measurement of 52-1 3/4, Joshua Rivers in the high jump with a height of 6-4 and Jonathan Wilburn in the triple jump with a distance of 47-7 1/4.
UW-Oshkosh also received a second-place leap of 5-0 1/4 in the high jump from Brant Sanderfoot and third-place performances of 51.29 seconds in the 400-meter run from Girone, 4-10 1/4 in the high jump from Bo Koehn, 46-6 in the shot put from Jack Malloy, 1:58.70 in the 800-meter run from Noah O'Neill, 44-1 1/2 in the triple jump from Elijah Pena and 50-2 3/4 in the 35-pound weight throw from Max Schoening.
The Titans' remaining fourth-place results went to Brantley with a measurement of 42-11 in the triple jump, Sanderfoot with a time of 6.97 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, Matthew Dorenkamper with a distance of 43-7 3/4 in the shot put, Andrew Muskevitsch in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:26.41, Andrew Rathkamp with a time of 4:24.94 in the mile run and Evan Wendland with a time of 53.04 seconds in the 400-meter run.
UW-Oshkosh was represented by Andrew George and Mitchell Bradford in the 5,000-meter run at the UW-Stevens Point Multi-Event Invitational held this past Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 24-25) in Stevens Point. George finished eighth among 14 entrants with a time of 15:21.59 while Bradford placed ninth in 15:24.15.
UW-Oshkosh concludes its indoor season with an eight-team meet at UW-Whitewater on Saturday (March 6).
Postmeet Interview (Billy Piotrowski) With UW-Oshkosh Head Men's Track & Field Coach Justin Kinseth
Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics