No. 2 Titans Headed to WIAC Championships with Eight Top-Five #EventSquads
OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh men's track and field team was ranked No. 2 in the nation, holds eight top-five #EventSquad rankings and 11 top-10 marks including two national leaders in this week's review of national rankings headed into the WIAC Championships on Friday and Saturday.
The Titans moved up to second this week in USTFCCCA's fifth nation poll of the indoor season. Other WIAC competitors UW-La Crosse (No. 3), UW-Eau Claire (No. 7) and UW-Whitewater (No. 11) were also ranked.
Oshkosh holds eight top-five #EventSquad rankings this week. Freshman Davian Willems, senior Jaylen Grant, sophomore Keegan Cullison and freshman Ja'siah Williams average a 6.82 second finish in the 60-meter dash, which ranks first in the nation. The Titans also rank first in the high jump with an average mark of 1.99 meters (sophomore Caleb Cornelius, freshman Charlie Nolan, freshman Matthew Ewens, freshman Aden Sears) and the triple jump with an average jump of 14.24 meters. Senior Jonathan Wilburn, Nolan, junior Elijah Pena and freshman Caleb Wright make up the triple jump squad. The 800-meter run and long jump squad both sit at second. The 800-meter run group made up of sophomore Ryan Potter, senior Steven Potter, sophomore Dwight Hosni and junior Reid Marquardt average a 1:52.31 time. Sophomore AK Toheeb-Lawal, freshman Sebastian Jefferson, junior RJ Bosshart and Wright average a 7.04-meter mark in the long jump. The Titans rank third in three #EventSquads. Sophomore Londyn Little, junior Jaylin Boatman, junior Rashaad Henderson and junior Brett Clavijo make up the 200-meter squad that averages a 21.92 second finish. Senior Eli Tranel, sophomore Zach Zirgibel, Bosshart and Ewens average a 4.57-meter mark on the pole vault. Bosshart, Sears, Ewens and junior Payton White average 4,577 points in the heptathlon.
Tranel's program record 5.07-meter vault in the pole vault leads the nation. Wilburn also ranks first, with a 15.38-meter mark in the triple jump. Willems sits at third in the 60-meter dash with a 6.72 second finish, which is tied for first in program history. The 4x400-meter squad's adjusted 3:13.70 time was good for fifth in the nation. Bosshart and Sears sit at fifth and sixth with adjusted scores of 4,918 and 4,896 points, respectively. The Distance Medley Relay squad that set the program record at UW-La Crosse's Eagle Open ranks sixth with an adjusted time of 9:46.49. Cornelius sits at sixth in the high jump with a mark of 2.06 meters. Little ranks seventh with an adjusted time of 21.49 seconds. Steven Potter ranks eighth in the mile run, running an adjusted 4:04.76 and Ryan Potter ranks 10th with an adjusted 1:51.57 in the 800-meter run.
Last Week's Highlights
The Titans recorded two nation-leading efforts in last weekend's Titan Challenge, placing first with 226 points. Pena set the program record in the 60-meter hurdles with a first place, 8.21 second finish. Tranel set a program record of his own with a 5.07-meter mark in the pole vault. Freshman John Thill won the 5,000-meter run with a 15:40.90 finish. The 4x400-meter relay team placed first with a time of 3:16.79 for new season best. Cornelius won the high jump with a team season best 3.06 meters. Toheeb-Lawal won the long jump, jumping 7.16 meters. Wilburn bested his own nation-leading effort in the triple jump by 0.18 meters with a 15.38-meter jump on Saturday.
Where the Titans are Competing
The Titans head to Menomonie on Friday to compete in the two-day WIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by UW-Stout. Friday will start at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday will start at 10:00 a.m.