Titans Seek Seventh Straight Top-Two Finish
Jecel (Gerner) Klotz goes for her third career shot put title and UW-Oshkosh seeks it seventh consecutive top-two finish at the NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship on May 21-23 in Canton, N.Y.
UW-Oshkosh is sending 12 athletes to compete in nine events at the Division III championship to be held at Merrick-Pinkard Track & Field Complex and hosted by St. Lawrence University (N.Y.). Twenty-two athletes will compete in the individual events while the two relay events will feature competitors from 16 institutions.
Last year, Wartburg College (Iowa) edged UW-Oshkosh, 65-63, to win the national championship for the third consecutive season. UW-Whitewater placed third with 44.5 points, followed by UW-La Crosse in fourth with 38 and the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in fifth with 27.
This season, UW-Oshkosh heads into nationals ranked fourth in the Division III by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. WIAC rival UW-La Crosse is first in the poll, followed by UW-Eau Claire in second and UW-Whitewater in third.
Klotz claimed the outdoor shot put national crown in 2011 and 2014 and placed second in 2010. UW-Oshkosh will also be represented by returning outdoor All-Americans Melanie Brickner, Kasey Ederer and Kylee Verhasselt.
The Titans have been the national runner-ups in each of the past three seasons after claiming their ninth outdoor championship in 2011. UW-Oshkosh's run of top-two finishes include second-place showings in 2009 and 2010.
Klotz is seeded second in the shot put with a toss of 49-3 3/4. The top seed is Osazenoriuwa Ebose from Swarthmore College (Pa.) with a distance of 49-8.
Brickner will attempt to improve upon her fourth-place effort in the hammer throw at last year's national outdoor meet. Brickner is the top seed in the hammer throw this season with a cast of 193-6. She is also seeded fifth in the shot put with a distance of 47-6 1/2.
Verhasselt was the runner-up at last year's 800-meter run championship. She is seeded 10th this outdoor season with a time of 2:10.68. Amanda Brom from UW-Whitewater is the event's top seed with a time of 2:08.21.
Ederer, who finished fifth at the 2014 outdoor national meet, is seeded 15th this year with a height of 5-6 1/2. Jenna Breaker from Ripon College is seeded first with a jump of 5-10.
Taylor Sherry will compete in three events at the national outdoor meet for UW-Oshkosh. Her heptathlon qualifying score of 4,911 is seeded fourth. Illinois Wesleyan University's Allie Boudreau owns the top heptathlon seed with 5,065 points.
Sherry will also compete in the 100-meter hurdles and run a leg on the 1,600-meter relay team. Sherry is seeded 16th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.49.
The Titan 1,600-meter relay squad of Alesha Malueg, Caitlyn McCormick, Sherry and Verhasselt is seeded seventh with a time of 3:48.64. The top seed in the 100-meter hurdles is Adriana Wright (13.64) from Lehman College (N.Y.) while Washington University (Mo.) is seeded first in the 1,600-meter relay (3:46.85).
Emily Reichenberger is the ninth seed in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.56. UW-Eau Claire's Carly Fehler leads the field with a time of 23.94.
Reichenberger will team with Samantha Blue, Ashley Holicek and Becklyn Hunter of UW-Oshkosh's ninth-seeded 400-meter relay team with a time of 47.34. UW-Eau Claire is the first seed with a time of 46.19.
Rounding out the Titans' national team is Elizabeth Abhold, the 19th seed in the hammer throw with a heave of 168-10.
UW-Oshkosh has captured outdoor titles in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011. The Titans' nine championships are the most in the Division III. Christopher Newport University (Va.) is next with six national crowns.