Titan Women Ready To Defend NCAA Track & Field Title
Defending champion UW-Oshkosh owns the top seed in three events for this weekend's NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship in Lincoln, Neb.
Activity begins at 11 a.m. on Friday (March 14) and 10 a.m. on Saturday (March 15) at the University of Nebraska's Bob Devaney Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh has captured a record eight indoor national titles, including victories in 2011 and 2013. The Titans, who placed second in 2010 and 2012, have scored points at every NCAA Division III Indoor Championship since 1986.
Christy Cazzola can become the first woman in NCAA Division III history to win the mile run three straight years. She is seeded sixth in the event with a time of 4:54.44.
Jecel (Gerner) Klotz is ranked first in the shot put with a distance of 49-9 1/4, while Melanie Brickner leads all participants in the weight throw with a measurement of 61-4 1/4.
UW-Oshkosh is also the top seed in the distance medley relay, an event it won a year ago. This season, Cazzola, Stephanie Jahn, Sonny Jenkins and Kylee Verhasselt have run to a time of 11:43.60.
Verhasselt is the third seed in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:11.34. She will also compete in the 1,600-meter relay with Jahn, Caitlyn McCormick and Elizabeth Pospyhalla. The quartet is seeded fifth with a time of 3:50.02.
A five-time indoor national champion, Cazzola looks to increase her total in the 3,000-meter run, where she's ranked sixth at 9:44.48.
Klotz stands fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 57-3 3/4. In the shot put, Abby Martin ranks ninth at 45-3 3/4 and Brickner 17th at 44-8 1/4.
Klotz owns three All-America awards, including a pair in the shot put. She finished third in 2011 and sixth in 2010. Last year in the weight throw, Brickner placed third and Klotz fifth.
The leaping competitions feature Kasey Ederer seeded 12th in the high jump at 5-6 1/2 and Samantha Blue 14th in the long jump at 18-2 1/2.
UW-Oshkosh's 12 entries are the second-most at the meet, trailing top-ranked UW-La Crosse's 13. Third-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa), the champion from 2009, 2010 and 2012, also owns 12 entries.
The Titans won last year's national title with 56 points. Illinois College placed second with 32 points, followed by third-place UW-La Crosse with 27, fourth-place Wartburg College with 25 and fifth-place Monmouth College (Ill.) with 24.
By Jon Feyen