The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse hosted their NCAA Indoor Final Qualifier on March 7 as the last opportunity for participating collegiate track and field athletes to qualify for the Division III NCAA Indoor Championships(nationals) later this month.
Kayla Behnke, a fifth-year student and veteran of the NCAA Indoor Championship, said this meet felt more like nationals than any other.
“It’s a very high level meet, because everyone’s trying to qualify,” Behnke said. “It’s the top 20 in each individual event, so it’s very competitive trying to get there. We had some girls really rise to the occasion.”
Blugold success came with Allyson Kakes and Kylee Grabarski’s first place finishes; 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash, respectively. Another first-place finish came in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, with the team setting a new program record of 3:49.52.
According to Leone Timing and Results Services, after the UWL NCAA Indoor Final Qualifier, the UWEC women’s track and field team had ten athletes qualified for the Division III NCAA Indoor Championships, including Kakes and the 4×400-meter relay of fourth-year Grabaski, third-year Mya Cinnamo, first-year Britt Fitzgerald and second-year McKenzie Kruse.
Other qualifiers include third-year Laura Bertrang in the high jump, Behnke and third-year Kendall Thurston in the weight throw, fourth-year Lauren Dimler and second-year Brooklyn Lamers in the pentathlon.
“I’m just excited for nationals next week, excited to see how the team performs,” Behnke said. “We got some girls there who haven’t been there before, so just really looking forward to it, and it’s always a fun time when there’s a lot of women going.”
On the men’s side, there were again multiple first-place finishes. First-year Reilly Templeton won the 200-meter dash, first-year Jack Wanezek secured first in the 800-meter, while second-year Blake Postler won the finals of the 60-meter hurdles. The 4×400-meter relay was won by the Blugolds, with third-year Jacob Eickhoff, third-year Izaak Clendenning, Templeton and third-year Harrison Cull finishing in 3:21.51.
Gage Stankiewicz, a fifth-year exercise science student, also found success at the UWL meet. Stankiewicz earned first in the shot put and third in the weight throw.
“I don’t think it was one of my better meets, but I can’t say it went horrible,” Stankiewicz said. “I had a rough day with both weight and shot put, but I still got some decent marks out there.”
Several athletes from the men’s team qualified for nationals. Templeton will compete in the 200-meter dash while Postler and second-year Tyler Botz will compete in the 60-meter hurdles.
Stankiewicz is currently ranked No.1 in the shot put and will also compete in the weight throw, as will fourth-year Soren Johnson. In the heptathlon, second-year Jace Stolte will compete for the Blugolds. Finally, the 4×400-meter relay of second-year Cameron Pease, Clendenning, third-year Nicky Odom and Postler is ranked No.3 heading into nationals.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are hoping to bring home a trophy from the NCAA Indoor Championships this year.
“The aim of the game, as it has always been this season, is to win nationals,” Behnke said. “We’re going for that No.1 spot, to try to compete and win it all.”
Stankiewicz said he hopes the men’s team can secure the third-place trophy this year.
“Everyone who’s qualified for nationals is looking good and feeling ready,” Stankiewicz said. “We got a really young team, small team, but I think everyone is ready to perform their best and have a good ending to their indoor season. And hopefully we can walk away with a team trophy, which I think is very doable.”
According to the NCAA, the DIII Indoor Championships will be hosted on March 13 and 14 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama. The NCAA will stream the event online.
Jhett Sherry can be reached at [email protected].
