Wrensch Wins Two Phil Esten Challenge Events

Wrensch Wins Two Phil Esten Challenge Events

Lauren Wrensch won both the long jump and 400-meter run to lead UW-Oshkosh's list of performances at the 14th Annual UW-La Crosse Phil Esten Women's Track & Field Challenge held Thursday and Friday (April 18-19) in La Crosse.

Wrensch, who owns this season's best NCAA Division III distance in the long jump at 19-4, finished first among the event's 37 participants at the Phil Esten Challenge with her winning mark of 19-2 3/4. Wrensch, the only person in the division to own two measurements this season of 19 feet or better, won the long jump in La Crosse by nearly nine inches over the second-place leap of 18-6 1/2 recorded by UW-Eau Claire's Ashley Agrimson.

In the 400-meter run, Wrensch recorded this season's 15th-best time in the division with her winning performance of 57.38 seconds. UW-La Crosse's Mara Schroeder finished second among the event's 31 contestants with a time of 58.68 seconds.

UW-Oshkosh's Taylor Pralle earned fourth place with her time of 12.54 seconds in the 100-meter dash. The event featured 39 competitors.

The Titans had a pair of sixth-place efforts, including 1,500-meter run time of 4:44.24 posted by Hannah Lohrenz. Also finishing sixth was UW-Oshkosh's 1,600-meter relay team of Pralle, Lindsay Denu, Alexandra Demco and Melissa Srnka. The group recorded a time of 4:03.99.

UW-Oshkosh's seventh-place mentions belonged to Sadie Huth in the 100-meter hurdles and Ashton Keene in the 10,000-meter run. Huth completed her race in a time of 15.29 seconds while Keene finished her event in a time of 37.37.48.

The Titans finished eighth in the team standings with 36 points.

UW-La Crosse scored 168 points to win its second straight Phil Esten Challenge title and 10th overall. Minnesota State University placed second in the 21-team meet with 108 points while UW-Eau Claire finished third with 84.5, Winona State University (Minn.) fourth with 78 and UW-Stevens Point fifth with 70.

UW-Oshkosh will be represented at a pair of meets next weekend – the Drake Relays and the UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative Meet. The Drake Relays begin Thursday (April 25) and conclude Saturday (April 27) in Des Moines, Iowa, while the UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative Meet will be contested Saturday in Whitewater.