Related Links:
WIAC Championship Webpage

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's and women's track and field teams finished third and fourth respectively in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships hosted by UW-Stout Saturday. 

The third place finish for the Warhawk men is the best since UWW finished second in 2018. The fourth place finish for the Warhawk women is their highest place in the indoor championships since 2017. Paige Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) was named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar Athlete at the championships. She is the fifth Warhawk to earn the honor and first since Shelby Mahr in 2015. 

UWW captured a pair of golds on day two of the championships. Tina Shelton (Janesville, Wis./Parker) cruised to a WIAC Championship record time of 7.56 in the 60-meter dash to claim the top spot on the podium. Shelton has broken a record in the 60 in every meet so far this season. Adam Kunny (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) added points to the men's total in the event with a clocking of 6.96 for eighth. Shelton added bronze to her collection with a time of 25.17 in the 200 Saturday. 

Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) registered the other gold Saturday for UWW. He led a three-man contingent to finish among the top eight int he 3,000. Patzka's time of 8:14.78 breaks both the WIAC Championship and facility record held by UW-Stout's Tim Nelson since 2012. Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) posted a fifth place time of 8:28.75 while Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) was eighth crossing the line in 8:34.91. The Warhawk men have claimed gold in the 3,000 three consecutive seasons. Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) secured bronze on the women's side with a time of 10:11.55 in the race. 

Two Warhawk men were featured on the podium for the 60-meter hurdles. Marlon Cystrunk (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) was clocked in 8.26 for bronze while Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) added seventh place points to the team total with a time of 8.45. 

In the 800, Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) finished just outside the top three with a time of 1:54.21. Fassbender was seventh in the women's race with a time of 2:16.80. 

UWW's 4x400 relay squad featuring Fassbender, Katie McNamara (Geneva, Ill./Geneva), Hannah Bilodeau (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) and Aaliya Taylor combined for a bronze time of 4:01.02. The men's foursome of Kobe Chandler (Beloit, WI/Memorial), Luke Zanis (St. Charles, Ill./North), Brad Heller (Brookfield, WI/East) and Will Kaashagen (Cambridge, Wis./Cambridge) posted a time of 3:22.16 for fifth. 

In the field events, Shelvin Garrett and Brayden Zettle (Monroe, Wis./Monroe) led the Warhawks with medals int he triple jump. Garrett's leap of 14.67 meters (48-1.75) was the runner-up followed by Zettle's bronze jump of 14.45 meters (47-5). Rileigh Elgas (Janesville, Wis./Craig) registered the seventh best mark for the women - 10.83 meters (35-6.5).

A pair of Warhawks finished among the top eight in the weight throw. Kenni Czarnecki (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) was seventh with a heave of 15.98 (52-5.25) while Sean Larsen's (Waukesha, Wis./South) toss of 16.27 meters (53-4.5) was eighth for the men. Josh Krystosek (Palmyra, Wis./Palmyra-Eagle) added points to the team total tying for eighth in the high jump with a leap of 1.89 meters (6-2.25). 

UW-Whitewater's Jack McGinn (Madison, Wis./McFarland) rounded out the medal winners with a bronze in the heptathlon. His total of 4708 ranks among the top 25 in Division III this season. 

Friday Recap
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's and women's track and field teams are fourth after the first day of competition in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships hosted by UW-Stout. 

Gracie Holland (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) highlighted the Warhawk women individually claiming her second consecutive pole vault title with a WIAC Championship record height of 3.94 meters (12-11). 

Four more UW-Whitewater women captured gold Friday. Paige Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) led off the Warhawks' distance medley relay foursome that also included Sarah Nieheuser, Katie Erb (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) and Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee, Wis./Pewaukee). The squad registered a time of 12:04.61, less than a second off the program record, to win the event. The title is the first for the UWW women in the event since 1999. 

The Warhawk men's combination in the distance medley relay claimed the third straight title in the event for UWW. Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) was the lead for the second consecutive season. This time he was joined by Hunter Manuel (St. Charles, Ill./East), Rhett Reuter (Darlington, Wis./Darlington) and Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) for a time of 10:06.10 to win the DMR by more than four seconds. 

Individually, Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) finished as the runner-up in the mile with a time of 4:11.62. Fellow distance runner Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) captured bronze in the 5,000 meter run with a clocking of 14:51.80. Chris Bitz (Brookfield, Wis./East) claimed a podium spot with a height of 4.59 meters (15-0.75), good for seventh in the pole vault. 

With three events left in the heptathlon, Jack McGinn (Madison, Wis./McFarland) stands in fifth with a total of 2563. The event will wrap up Saturday. 

The preliminary heats of the 60 and 60-meter hurdles were also ran Friday. Division III leader in the 60, Tina Shelton (Janesville, Wis./Parker), posted the top time in the prelims to qualify for the finals. Adam Kunny (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) qualified eighth on the men's side as the final five runners to advance to the finals were separated by just .03. Marlon Cystrunk (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) registered the second-best time in the hurdles. His 8.32 was just .02 behind the leader while Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) will also represent UWW in the finals after qualifying in seventh. 

The WIAC Indoor Championships will resume at 10 am Saturday as the women's pentathlon gets underway and the heptathletes return to the track. Field events are slated to begin at 11 am. Individual track events are scheduled to begin with the 60-meter hurdles at 1:40.