Second Place For Titans At UW-Oshkosh Open

John Block (So. • Madison) and Matt Champan (So. • Waukesha) finished third and fourth to lead UW-Oshkosh’s second-place showing at its Men’s Cross Country Open on Friday (Oct. 21) in Winneconne.

UW-Platteville won the five-team competition with a score of 24, while UW-Oshkosh compiled 39 points. UW-Stevens Point came in third place with 67. Finlandia University (Mich.) and Wisconsin Lutheran College also participated but did not obtain a team score.

The Titans rested many of their top runners in preparation for next week’s WIAC Championship. Block timed a 26:44 for his third-place result, as Champan followed with a 26:56. Max Kramer (So. • Oshkosh) used 27:17 to take 11th and Nick Newcomer (Sr. • Winnebago, Ill.) tacked on a 12th-place figure at 27:18.

The remaining UW-Oshkosh results consisted of Mark Allen (So. • Port Washington) in 17th at 27:33, Steve Stasek (Fr. • Stanley) in 19th at 27:45 and Ryne Scopp (Fr. • Kenosha) in 25th at 28:01. Brian Peterson (Jr. • Toluca, Ill.) and Aaron Heiliger (So. • Madison) clocked times of 28:39 and 28:45 to take 31st and 32nd, while Jake Hansen (So. • Waukegan, Ill.) crossed the line in 29:52 for 37th place.

Patrick Klein took the individual title with his time of 25:38. UW-Platteville owned the runners in second, fifth, sixth and seventh with Joel Walden (26:36), Matt Smaga (26:59), Jordan Joaquin (27:10) and Evan Morgan (27:12). A total of 42 men competed in the event.

UW-Oshkosh aims for its 10th league title at the WIAC Championship on Saturday (Oct. 29) in Menomonie.