Titans' Long-Awaited Return To Outdoor Activity Is Back
The UW-Oshkosh men's track & field team returns to outdoor competition for the first time since May 25 of the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship when it opens the 2021 campaign Saturday (March 27) at the Carroll University Open in Waukesha.
UW-Oshkosh will compete in 12 outdoor meets over an eight-week period, including 11 that will be held in Wisconsin. The Titans' lone trip outside the state will be to Greensboro, N.C., for the Division III Championship on May 27-29.
UW-Oshkosh's only home meet will be an event for high jumpers and throwers on April 29 at the Oshkosh Sports Complex.
The Titans make the conversion to their outdoor season following a very successful indoor term. UW-Oshkosh had 16 Division III All-Midwest Region selections and placed several more on the final TFRRS Indoor Descending Order List.
Saturday's season opener is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. from the Dennis Punches Track & Field Complex. The meet is expected to feature competitors from as many as 12 different programs.
UW-Oshkosh follows its season opener with trips to the UW-Whitewater Rex Foster Twilight Invitational on April 2, UW-Platteville Invitational on April 10, UW-La Crosse Multi-Event Invitational on April 16-17 and the St. Norbert College Invitational on April 24.
The Titans then host several high jumpers and throwers for a competition on April 29 before traveling to the UW-Platteville Border Battle on April 30.
UW-Oshkosh seeks its seventh WIAC title when it competes at the league championship on May 7-8 in River Falls. The Titans, who won their last conference title in 1990, finished second at the last league championship held in 2019.
The Titans then take to the road for Last Chance meets at UW-La Crosse on May 14 and May 20 and UW-Whitewater on May 15.
UW-Oshkosh concludes the 2021 season at the Division III Championship on May 27-29 in Greensboro, N.C. The Titans, the 2009 Division III champion, have scored at least five points at the each of the past 26 national meets. UW-Oshkosh was second-place finisher at the Division III Championship in 1990.
UW-Oshkosh fourth-year head coach Justin Kinseth welcomes back 23 previous letterwinners to this year's team, including four All-America performances from the 2019 Division III Championship.
Sophomore Jonathan Wilburn finished second in the triple jump at the 2019 national meet while senior Jack Flynn placed fourth in the discus and sophomore Jackson Sheckler sixth in the shot put. Sophomore Aaron McCarroll-Richardson and juniors Benjamin Jung and Robert Ogbuli return from a 400-meter relay group that finished fourth in the country two years ago.
Flynn is the lone UW-Oshkosh All-American back from the 2018 Division III Championship. He was a fifth-place finisher in the discus.
Returning as defending WIAC champions from the 2019 league meet are Jung in the 100-meter dash and both Jung and Ogbuli in the 400-meter relay.
Titans receiving Division III All-Midwest Region indoor honors earlier this spring from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association were freshman Jaylin Boatman (200-meter dash), sophomore Jamyle Brantley (long jump), junior Noah Bruehl (distance medley relay), junior Andrew George (mile run & 3,000-meter run), freshman Adrian Girone (1,600-meter relay), sophomore Jaylen Grant (60-meter dash), freshman Reid Marquardt (distance medley relay), Ogbuli (60-meter dash), freshman Ryan Potter (400-meter run, 800-meter run & 1,600-meter relay), sophomore Steven Potter (800-meter run & mile run), sophomore Andrew Rathkamp (distance medley relay), McCarroll-Richardson (200-meter dash, long jump & 1,600-meter relay), Sheckler (shot put), freshman Evan Wendland (distance medley relay), sophomore Amitai Wheat (1,600-meter relay) and Wilburn (triple jump).
In 2019, UW-La Crosse tallied 184 points to capture its 31st straight WIAC title and 55th overall. UW-Oshkosh followed in second place with 138 points, UW-Eau Claire in third with 114 and UW-Whitewater fourth with 104.5.
Completing the team standings were fifth-place UW-Platteville with 94.5 points, sixth-place UW-Stevens Point with 94, seventh-place UW-Stout with 88 and eighth-place UW-River Falls with 2.
At the 2019 Division III Championship, UW-Eau Claire tallied 68 points to wins its first NCAA outdoor title. The Blugolds were followed by second-place Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 38 points, third-place University of Mount Union (Ohio) with 36 and fourth-place UW-Oshkosh with 32.
UW-Oshkosh's lone home meet will be conducted in accordance with NCAA Division III and WIAC regulations, as well as institutional, state, and local health and safety guidelines. Each student-athlete and coach from UW-Oshkosh and the visiting programs will be allowed two guests. Attendance at the meet is closed to the public.