2020 WIAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will strive for a second consecutive first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at UW-Oshkosh’s Kolf Sports Center Feb. 28-29. The 44th gathering of women’s teams will be held in unison with the 52nd edition of the men’s championship.
 
The Blugolds won their first-ever WIAC title a season ago with 172.50 points to surpass the 162.50 points compiled by six-time defending champion UW-La Crosse. UW-Stevens Point placed third with 109 points, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 77, UW-Stout fifth with 54.50, UW-Platteville sixth with 45, UW-Whitewater seventh with 30.50 and UW-River Falls eighth with 10.
 
UW-La Crosse owns a league-best 26 titles, while UW-Oshkosh has 13. Former conference members UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison collected two and one, respectively.
 
Competition at this year’s meet will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 and 10 a.m. on Feb. 29. Medals will be awarded to the top-eight finishers in each of the individual events and individuals comprising the top-six relay teams.
 
This year’s championship features 13 student-athletes that have combined to win eight individual and nine relay first-place medals at previous league meets. UW-La Crosse enters the meet ranked fourth in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Track & Field Rating Index distributed on Feb. 25.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Savannah Rygiewicz is the reigning Track Performer of the Meet after winning the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash at last year’s championship. Her time of 7.65 seconds in the 60-meter dash established a conference meet record.  She also was a member of the first-place 4x400-meter relay team. Rygiewicz was joined on the relay squad by Lucy Fashingbauer and Mara Schroeder.
 
The Eagles’ Sophie Klein and Claire Koenecke were members of the triumphant distance medley relay team a season ago. Libby Brugger won the one-mile run at the 2018 championship.
 
UW-Stevens Point’s Sylviann Momont claimed Field Performer of the Meet distinction a season ago when she finished first in the 60-meter hurdles and pentathlon. She also won the pentathlon in 2017. The Pointers’ Brooke Wellhausen will aim for consecutive titles in the 800-meter run.
 
UW-Oshkosh’s Cara Volz claimed the triple jump at the 2018 championship, while UW-Eau Claire received first-place finishes from Glory Hecker and Lizzy Kenna in the 4x400-meter relay, and Lizzy Cisewski and Emma Drangstveit in the distance medley relay.
 
Individuals producing strong times and marks for their teams this season include: UW-Platteville’s Gwen Orr (200-meter dash) and Katie Schilling (400-meter dash); UW-River Falls’ Kimberly Robertson (pole vault); UW-Stout’s Heather Beecher (pole vault) and Morgan Denton (20-pound weight throw); and UW-Whitewater’s Shelby Nickels (long jump) and Miranda Reynolds (high jump).
 

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