Titans To Battle Impressive Field At WIAC Championship

UW-Oshkosh looks to provide stiff competition for 11-time defending champion UW-La Crosse at this weekend's WIAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship in Stevens Point.

Competition begins Friday (Feb. 22) at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday (Feb. 23) at 9 a.m. in UW-Stevens Point's Multi-Activity Center. This is the 45th edition of the men's meet, which will be held in conjunction with the 37th version of the women's championship.

This year's men's championship boasts six of the top 12 teams in the NCAA Division III. UW-La Crosse is the top-ranked team in the country, while UW-Oshkosh lists second, UW-Whitewater third, UW-Stevens Point eighth, UW-Eau Claire ninth and UW-Platteville 12th. UW-Oshkosh captured WIAC titles in 1971, 1973, 1989, 1999 and 2001.

Last year, UW-La Crosse scored 140 points to win its 37th conference indoor title. UW-Whitewater finished second with 108.5 points, UW-Eau Claire third with 108, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 98.5, UW-Platteville fifth with 78, UW-Stout sixth with 63, UW-Stevens Point seventh with 52, UW-River Falls eighth with 50 and UW-Superior ninth with four.

At the 2012 event, UW-Oshkosh's Pete Delzer (Sr. • Oconto Falls) won the 35-pound weight throw with a distance of 67-2 1/4. The Titans also bring back 2011 champions Quentin Badger (Jr. • Madison) in the 200-meter dash, John Cejka (Sr. • Wausau) and Ryan Sprenger (Jr. • Larsen) in the 800-meter relay and Cejka and Corey Wilch (Jr. • Waukesha) in the 1,600-meter relay.

Other UW-Oshkosh participants who should contend for a first-place finish are Nick Baatz (Sr. • Brownsville) and John McCann (Jr. • Elroy). Baatz leads the nation this year with his shot put of 61-2 1/4, while McCann ranks first with a high jump of 6-11 1/2.

This year's championship features 25 student-athletes who have combined to win 15 WIAC individual and 15 relay first-place medals.