Titans Aim For First-Place Finish At WIAC Championship

UW-Oshkosh owns the top seed in five events as the Titans attempt to win their first title since 2001 at this weekend's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver's).

Competition begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday (Feb. 28) and 10 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 29) from UW-Oshkosh's Kolf Sports Center.

The 52nd gathering of the men's teams will be held in conjunction with the 44th edition of the women's championship. Medals will be awarded to the top eight finishers in each of the individual events and to the individuals comprising the top six relay teams.

UW-La Crosse collected the 44th league championship in program history a year ago with 189.5 points. The Eagles were followed by second-place UW-Oshkosh with 104 points, third-place UW-Platteville with 90 and fourth-place UW-Whitewater with 88.

Completing last year's team standings were fifth-place UW-Eau Claire with 74.5 points, sixth-place UW-Stevens Point with 61, seventh-place UW-Stout with 52 and eighth-place UW-River Falls with three.

UW-Oshkosh lists second behind UW-La Crosse with five league titles and UW-Stevens Point third with two. UW-Oshkosh won its WIAC championships in 1971, 1973, 1989, 1999 and 2001 and UW-Stevens Point in 1974 and 1978.

This year's championship features 23 student-athletes who have combined to win 14 individual and 13 relay first-place medals at previous league meets. It also includes five teams ranked in the Top 18 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's NCAA Division III Rating Index. UW-Oshkosh enters the weekend as the top-ranked program in the country while UW-La Crosse ranks second, UW-Whitewater seventh, UW-Eau Claire ninth and UW-Stout 18th.

UW-Oshkosh, which has registered five second- and seven third-place finishes during the past 18 WIAC Championships, owns top seeds this weekend in the 60-meter dash, 400-meter run, high jump, triple jump and 1,600-meter relay.

UW-Oshkosh's lone defending champion is sophomore Jonathan Wilburn in the triple jump. Wilburn, who won last year's event with a measurement of 49-3 1/2, is seeded first in both the WIAC and the NCAA Division III this season with his school-record distance of 50-3 1/4 established at the Ripon College Red Hawk Opener held Jan. 25.

Freshman Jaylen Grant ranks first in the 60-meter dash and second nationally with his school-record time of 6.81 seconds created at the UW-Oshkosh Titan Challenge held Feb. 22.

Senior Todd Beadle is the top seed in the 400-meter run with his season-best time of 49.40 while junior Justin Rivers lists first in the high jump with a height of 6-9 1/2. Rivers placed third in the high jump at last year's championship with a leap of 6-7 1/2.

The Titans also rank first in the 1,600-meter relay with their Division III-leading time of 3:16.83.

UW-Oshkosh's Steven Potter is seeded second in both the 800-meter and mile runs with times of 1:53.50 and 4:15.91, respectively. Potter finished third in the 800-meter run at last year's meet with a time of 1:54.49.

Seeded second for the Titans are Ethan Burch with his time of 49.65 in the 400-meter run, Jamyle Brantley with his leap of 23-6 3/4 in the long jump and Jackson Sheckler with his measurement of 56-5 1/4 in the shot put. Brantley and Sheckler both finished seventh at last year's meet with distances of 22-5 1/4 in the long jump and 50-0 in the shot put, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh earned six third seeds as mentions were achieved with a time of 14:58.23 in the 5,000-meter run by Cody Chadwick, a leap of 23-5 1/4 in the long jump by Roman Hill, a time of 6.90 in the 60-meter dash by Robert Ogbuli, a skip of 47-0 3/4 in the triple jump by Joshua Jones, a distance of 54-5 1/2 in the shot put by Nick Tegtmeier and a height of 15-11 3/4 in the pole vault by Joe Vils.

Ogbuli finished fifth in the 60- and eighth in the 200-meter dashes at last year's championship with times of 6.96 and 22.56, respectively, while Hill placed fifth in the long jump with a distance of 23-0 3/4 and Vils second in the pole vault with a height of 15-9 3/4. Ogbuli also took seventh place in the 60-meter dash and Jones sixth in the triple jump at the 2018 championship.

UW-Oshkosh's Benjamin Jung also returns to this year's championship after finishing fourth in the long jump with a measurement of 23-1 1/4, sixth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.97 and seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.47 a year ago.

Titan Denzel Thomas added a third-place time of 6.94 in the 60-meter dash and teammate Adam Tallman a fifth-place skip of 46-0 in the triple jump at the 2019 championship.

The Titans' Morgan Malm is the holder of two place-winning performances in the 60-meter hurdles. He finished fifth in the event at the 2017 championship and eighth in 2016.

UW-La Crosse's Andrew Jarrett has won consecutive titles in the 35-pound weight throw and could become the first individual in league history to secure three straight first-place finishes in the event. He claimed Field Performer of the Meet distinction a season ago.

The Eagles' Seth Holden is the defending champion in the 60-meter dash, while Joshua Schraeder and Jacob Teunas will aim for back-to-back titles in the 3,000-meter run and long jump, respectively. Sam Hinz was a member of UW-La Crosse's victorious distance medley relay team at the 2017 championship.

UW-Whitewater's Zach Jasinski will attempt to become just the third individual in WIAC history to win three consecutive championships in the pole vault. UW-Whitewater's Tom Plummer (1978-80) and UW-La Crosse's Mike Schnur (1994-96) are the previous three-time winners. The Warhawks' Brian Kuehl claimed the 800-meter run in 2018.

UW-Platteville's Charlie Gifford looks for his second straight crown in the 60-meter hurdles while Pioneer Noah Steiner secured the high jump at the 2018 championship.

UW-Stevens Point's Calden Wojt, Matt Cieslak, Evan Torgerson and Sam Welch teamed to win the 1,600-meter relay a season ago. Wojt also finished first in the 200-meter dash and Torgerson the 400-meter run at the 2018 championship.

UW-Eau Claire's Connor Dolan, Will Ullrich and Alex Winn contributed to a winning performance in last year's distance medley relay. The Blugolds' Dylan Cooper won the heptathlon in 2018 while Hunter Henk, KJ Munn, Dietrich Schwoerer and Aaron Zmolek teamed for a first-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay. Bailey Wilson also helped UW-Eau Claire to a victory in the distance medley relay at the 2018 championship.

UW-Oshkosh has hosted the WIAC Championship only twice since 1997 – 2003 and 2016.

Daily ticket prices for the championship are $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens (55-plus) and $3 for students (K-College). Children ages 5 and under are free. Students attending a WIAC-member school are admitted free with their ID card.

2020 WIAC Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship Program

2020 WIAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship Website: https://wiacsports.com/sports/2020/1/6/MITRACK_0106202344.aspx