2026 WIAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship Preview

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will aim for a sixth straight first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship (presented by Culver’s) at UW-Platteville’s Williams Fieldhouse Feb. 27-28.
 
The Eagles claimed the 31st championship in program history a season ago with 287.50 points. UW-Eau Claire finished second with 106.50 points, UW-Stout third with 73, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 66, UW-Whitewater fifth with 58, UW-Platteville sixth with 36.50, UW-River Falls seventh with 21 and UW-Stevens Point eighth with 14.50.

UW-Oshkosh ranks second in WIAC history with 13 championships, while UW-Eau Claire has one. 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. 27, and 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 28. Medals will be awarded to the top-eight finishers in each of the individual events and the individuals comprising the top-six relay teams.
 
This year’s championship features five teams ranked in the Top 22 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III Track & Field Rating Index distributed on Feb. 24. UW-La Crosse is the top-ranked team, while UW-Eau Claire is 11th, UW-Oshkosh 14th, UW-Platteville 15th and UW-Stout 22nd.
 
Returning champions in individual events include: UW-Eau Claire’s Keeley Behr (2025/5,000-meter run); UW-La Crosse’s Samantha Barrett (2024 & 2025/triple jump); Ainsley Hansen (2023/high jump); Hallie Kent (2023/triple jump); Anna Plautz (2025/400-meter dash); Alli Thomas (2025/800-meter run); and Madilyn Vander Sanden (2025/shot put); and UW-Stout’s Leah Zastrow (2024/pole vault).
 
Individuals that have claimed first-place relay medals at previous championships include: UW-La Crosse’s Sarah Grubbs (2024/4x400-meter relay), Andie Otto (2025/4x400-meter relay), Anna Plautz (2024 & 2025/4x400-meter relay), Macy Reybrock (2025/4x400-meter relay), Bryn Sato (2025/distance medley relay), Kylie Stockton (2025/distance medley relay) and Jocelyn Thomson (2025/distance medley relay); and UW-Whitewater’s Katie Erb (2023 & 2024/distance medley relay) and Brynn Fuerstenberg (2024/distance medley relay).
 
Reybrock was tabbed the Newcomer of the Year last season.
 
Individuals from remaining conference programs ranking high on this year’s WIAC Honor Roll include: UW-Oshkosh’s Maddy LaVoi (400-meter run) and Amelia Lehman (800-meter run, one-mile run, and 3,000-meter run); UW-Platteville’s Hailey Campbell (high jump), Samantha Klann (shot put) and Isabel Peterson (60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash); UW-River Falls’ Annika Gunderson (pole vault), Lauryn Schutz (20-pound weight throw), Laina Viere (3,000-meter run); and UW-Stevens Point’s Melanie Princl (60-meter hurdles), Gracie Ridgeway (pentathlon) and Madeline Zirbel (high jump).
 
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