UW-Eau Claire track and field hosted the Dick & Mary Johnson Invitational at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at UW-Eau Claire. The invitational drew spectators in as the Blugolds’ only home track meet of the season. There were many strong performances showcased across running and field events. 

Assistant Coach Connor Dolan said the atmosphere and effort stood out most as athletes took advantage of competing on their home track. 

“What stood out to me was the energy in the races,” Dolan said. “Everyone just carried that to the performance, and they showed up. It was awesome to see people represent Eau Claire on our home track.”

The invitational served as an opportunity for athletes to qualify for spots in the conference meet.  Dolan said the team handled that pressure well.

“That kind of pressure can get to people, and I didn’t really see it phase anyone. I think the team kind of thrived under that pressure,” Dolan said. 

Among the standout performances was second-year high jumper Leo Orlikowski, who won his event and set a personal record. Orlikowski cleared 2.01 meters (6 foot, 7 inches), which marked a milestone.

“I feel really good mentally,” Orlikowski said. “My body’s beat up, my knees are hurting, but the adrenaline was great.”

It was a struggle at first for Orlikowski to overcome a lower height, he said, but by refocusing, he was able to successfully jump.

“My attempts at 1.96 [meters] weren’t great,” Orlikowski said. “I knew I needed to drive my knee and get over the bar. I just took a deep breath, visualized it and got it done.”

Orlikowski said how important it is for him to have his teammates support; their encouragement helped fuel his performance. 

“Honestly, it’s my teammates,” Orlikowski said. “They always cheer me on. That helps me a lot when I’m getting ready to jump.”  

Dolan said there were several other notable performances from the meet. On the women’s side, third-year high jumper and javelin thrower Laura Bertrang was another of several stand out performances. 

Bertrang said her performance on Saturday was stronger in javelin than in her high jump event. 

“Saturday was fun. It was a really beautiful day, so that really helped,” Bertrang said. “I threw consistently in the 40 meters. I think my best one on Saturday was 42.7 meters, which was my best throw this year.”

With many meet records being broken, Dolan said it was easy for him to see the effort his athletes put into their events. 

“There were so many good performances,” Dolan said. “Just to see everyone show up, compete and run personal records — that was really impressive.”

Dolan said the meet focused on individual results and overall team momentum. Balancing individual success with team goals remains a key factor for the program. 

“Individual momentum can shift the [team’s] performance; keeping in mind how individual performance elevates the team is important,” Dolan said. 

Saturday’s invitational coincided with the Drake Relays, where a group of Blugolds competed. Dolan said standout performances there also contributed to the program’s overall success, including an effort for a school record in the preliminaries. 

According to Dolan, second-year hurdler Blake Postler set a school record, making him a top-ranked athlete for Division III. 

With the conference meet approaching, the Blugolds will look to build on the momentum from Saturday’s performance as they continue their season. 

Gerlach can be reached at [email protected].