Titans Begin Outdoor Track & Field Season In Whitewater
Nine-time national champion UW-Oshkosh opens the 2017 women's outdoor track & field season at the Rex Foster Invitational on Friday (April 7) in Whitewater.
The Titans have finished among the top eight teams at each of the past 15 NCAA Division III Championships and 26 times in the last 29 years. UW-Oshkosh won its division-leading nine national titles in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011.
Last season, UW-Oshkosh finished eighth at the national meet with 20 points and second at the conference championship with 141 points.
After the season-opening meet in Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh heads to the UW-Platteville Invitational on April 13-14 before traveling to La Crosse on April 20-21 for the Phil Esten Challenge. The Titans finished second at last year's Rex Foster Invitational and fourth at the Phil Esten Challenge.
The Titans will then compete at the nationally renowned Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Mich., on April 27-29.
UW-Oshkosh will also travel to the UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative Meet on April 29 before competing at the WIAC Championship on May 5-6 in Platteville.
Following the league meet, the Titans will prepare for the NCAA Championship by traveling to the Dr. Keeler Invitational on May 11-12 in Naperville, Ill., the UW-La Crosse Eagle Open on May 12; the Gregory Invitational on May 17-18 in Naperville; and the UW-La Crosse Invitational on May 18.
The NCAA Division III Championship will be held May 25-27 in Geneva, Ohio.
Illinois Wesleyan University is the defending national champion after scoring 42 points to clip the 41 points by Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio). Washington University in St. Louis finished third with 39 points, WIAC champion UW-La Crosse fourth with 35 and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Calif.) fifth with 33.
UW-La Crosse won its fifth straight league championship a year ago with 238 points. Following the runner-up Titans were third-place UW-Stout with 103 points, fourth-place UW-Whitewater with 90.33, fifth-place UW-Eau Claire with 87.5, sixth-place UW-Stevens Point with 85, seventh-place UW-Platteville with 62.66 and eighth-place UW-River Falls with 11.5.
Highlighting UW-Oshkosh's returning athletes are defending national champions Emily Reichenberger and Olivia Seeley, who helped the Titans win last year's 400-meter relay.
Also back are two-time WIAC champion Kristen Linzmeier and defending league champion Elizabeth Abhold. Linzmeier ran a leg on the Titans' title-winning 3,200-meter relay teams in 2015 and 2016, while Abhold secured last year's hammer throw championship.
In addition to its nine national championships, UW-Oshkosh also won 11 conference titles in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006 and 2011.