Titans To Compete At WIAC Outdoor Championship
UW-Oshkosh's Ryan Powers is the top seed in both 200-meter dash and 400-meter run while Jonathan Wilburn is seeded first in the triple jump for this weekend's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver's) in Platteville.
Competition at the 101st edition of the championship begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday (May 3) and 11 a.m. Saturday (May 4) at UW-Platteville's Track & Field Complex. The meet will be held in unison with the 48th version of the women's championship.
UW-Oshkosh, a seven-time champion, has finished among the top three teams during six of the last nine league championships. The Titans placed fifth with 100 points at last year's meet in River Falls. UW-Oshkosh captured WIAC titles in 1925, 1927, 1966-68, 1971 and 1990.
UW-La Crosse scored 190 points to win last year's team title for the 30th straight season and 54th time overall. UW-Whitewater finished second to the Eagles with 155.5 points while UW-Platteville placed third with 119, UW-Stout fourth with 109, UW-Eau Claire sixth with 77, UW-Stevens Point seventh with 60 and UW-River Falls eighth with 8.5.
Powers is the meet's defending champion in the 400-meter run. He ranks first in the event nationally (NCAA Division III) with a season-best time of 47.30 seconds while listing fifth in the country with a performance of 21.45 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Powers, who also finished sixth in the 200-meter dash at last year's competition, won both the 200-meter dash and 400-meter run at the WIAC Indoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver's) held Feb. 22-23 in Whitewater.
Wilburn, a freshman, owns the league's best triple jump of the season with a measurement of 48-6. His distance also ranks third nationally. Wilburn took first place in the triple jump at the WIAC Indoor Championship held earlier this year.
UW-Oshkosh is also seeded second in five events, including the 400- and 1,600-meter relays with season-best times of 41.34 seconds and 3:15.16, respectively.
Other second seeds belong to Titans Robert Ogbuli in the 100-meter dash with a season-best time of 10.74 seconds, freshman Jackson Sheckler in the shot put with a measurement of 53-7 and Joe Vils in the pole vault with a height of 16-9 1/4. Vils, who finished third in the pole vault at last year's championship, ranks second in the event nationally. Sheckler lists ninth for his event in the country and Ogbuli 18th.
Seeded third for UW-Oshkosh are freshman Jamyle Brantley in the long jump with a season-best leap of 23-0 1/2, Benjamin Jung in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.78 seconds and freshman Steven Potter in the 800-meter run with a performance of 1:53.30. Brantley ranks 20th for his event nationally and Jung 28th.
UW-Oshkosh's fourth seeds are owned by Nick Freitag with a season-best time of 1:53.73 in the 800-meter run, Andrew George in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:31.55, freshman Devin Moody in the high jump with a height of 6-3 1/4 and Bailey Quinn in the hammer throw with a measurement of 187-6. Quinn placed third for his event at last year's championship.
The top finisher in each event receives all-conference first team status while the runner-up secures second team accolades and the third-place performer honorable mention recognition.