2019 WIAC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will attempt for an eighth straight title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at UW-Platteville’s Track & Field Complex May 3-4.
 
The Eagles won the 33rd championship in program history a year ago with 228.75 points. UW-Eau Claire finished second with 149.25 points, UW-Stevens Point third with 111.75, UW-Stout fourth with 111, UW-Whitewater fifth with 96.50, UW-Oshkosh sixth with 54, UW-Platteville seventh with 43.75 and UW-River Falls eighth with 23.
 
UW-Oshkosh ranks second behind UW-La Crosse with 11 league titles, while UW-Stevens Point has captured one.
 
Competition will begin at this year’s championship at 2:30 p.m. on May 3 and 11 a.m. on May 4. Medals will be awarded to the top-eight finishers in each of the individual events and the runners comprising the top-six relay teams.
 
This year’s meet features 15 student-athletes that have combined to win 14 individual and five relay first-place medals at previous WIAC championships. It will also showcase three teams ranked in the Top 21 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Rating Index distributed on April 23. UW-Eau Claire is ranked 10th, while UW-Oshkosh is 17th and UW-La Crosse 21st.
 
Returning champions in individual events from a season ago include: UW-Eau Claire’s Erica Oawster (shot put and discus), Sam Slattery (10,000-meter run) and Megan Wallace (heptathlon); UW-La Crosse’s Clair Shepardson (100-meter high hurdles) and Rachel Zastrow (pole vault); UW-Oshkosh’s Cheyenne Moore (5,000-meter run) and Cara Volz (triple jump); UW-Stout’s Stephanie Pladies (high jump); and UW-Whitewater’s Abbie Felton (400-meter dash). Oawster was recognized as the Field Performer of the Meet for her efforts. She also won the discus at the 2017 championship and will attempt to become the fifth performer in league history to win three consecutive titles in the event. Slattery was victorious in the 5,000-meter run in 2017.
 
Felton was also a member of the first-place 4x100-meter relay team last year, along with Jordan Tokarski, while UW-Stevens Point’s Hannah Mertens, Makani Peters and Brooke Wellhausen contributed to the winning 4x400-meter relay squad.
 
The 2016 championship featured winning performances from UW-Eau Claire’s Tommie Brenner in the pole vault and UW-La Crosse’s Caycee Bean in the javelin.
 
Additional individuals producing strong times and marks for their teams this season include: UW-Platteville’s Johanna Meister (1,500-meter run), Katie Schilling (400-meter hurdles) and Katie Wardinski (5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run); and UW-River Falls’ Linsey Tolkkinen (5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run) and Kimberly Robertson (pole vault).
 

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