2018 WIAC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will strive for a seventh consecutive first-place finish at the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at UW-River Falls’ Ramer Field May 4-5. The 47th meeting of the women’s teams will be held in unison with the 100th meeting of the men’s squads.
 
The Eagles collected the 32nd title in program archives a season ago with 172.50 points to exceed UW-Eau Claire’s second-place total of 154.50 points. UW-Stout finished third with 101.50 points, UW-Whitewater fourth with 96, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 93, UW-Stevens Point sixth with 82, UW-Platteville seventh with 78.50 and UW-River Falls eighth with 40.
 
This year’s meet features 11 student-athletes that have combined to win seven individual and eight first-place medals at previous WIAC championships. It will also showcase a pair teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25 computer rankings distributed on April 25. UW-Eau Claire is ranked sixth, while UW-La Crosse is 22nd.
 
Competition begins at noon on May 4 and 10 a.m. on May 5. A brief awards ceremony will be held after events are completed on May 5. The top finisher in each event receives all-conference first team recognition, while the runner-up secures second team accolades and the third-place performer claims honorable mention recognition.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Sadie Kroll is the defending champion in the 1,500-meter run. Rachel Atchison was a member of the victorious 4x400-meter relay teams in 2014 and 2016. She was joined on the 2016 team by Jeanna Goulet.
 
UW-Eau Claire’s Samantha Slattery and Erica Oawster will aim for back-to-back first-place finishes in the 5,000-meter run and discus, respectively. Sarah Glidden was victorious in the high jump a season ago and helped the 4x400-meter relay squads produce first-place times in 2015 and 2017. She was joined on last year’s team by Ashleigh Buergi. At the 2016 championship, Tommie Brenner emerged with the pole vault title. Kelsey Worachek was a member of the winning 4x100-meter relay team at the 2015 and 2017 championships.
 
UW-Stevens Point’s Alex Grubbs is the defending champion in the javelin.
 
Conference mentions among the top five of the NCAA Division III Honor Roll on April 29 include:  UW-Eau Claire’s Sarah Glidden (2nd - 400-meter hurdles/1:00.68 and 2nd - heptathlon/4918 points); UW-La Crosse’s Elizabeth Harlos (5th - triple jump/38-8.75); UW-Oshkosh’s Isabella Samuels (4th - shot put/46-6.25); UW-Stout’s Lydia Meier (2nd - hammer throw/193-5); and UW-Whitewater’s Celeste Madda (4th - 200-meter dash/24.50). UW-Platteville has received strong performances from Katie Schilling, while UW-River Falls’ Abigail Bakken has been a solid contributor for the Falcons.
 

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