Men take second, women fourth in Winona track meet
Spectator staff
Issue date: 4/20/09 Section: Sports
The UW-Eau Claire men's track and field team, led by four first-place finishes, rallied to a second-of-seven finish Friday at the Phil Esten Challenge in Winona, Minn.
The women's team, relying on first-place performances in three events, finished fourth in a field of eight in the same meet Friday.
Both teams also sent runners to the University of Kansas this weekend to compete in the Kansas Relays.
Men
Senior Chris Kupfer took first in the 400 dash with a time of 49.67 seconds. Senior Andy Warren was about 10 full seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the steeplechase with a final time of nine minutes, 44.41 seconds.
Eau Claire's 1,600 relay team finished ahead of four other conference opponents to take first place with a time of 3:21.79. No individual team members were listed.
Junior Dan Powers handed in the Blugolds' only first-place performance in the field at Winona Friday, winning the long jump by less than a centimeter at a distance of 6.46 meters.
Some of Eau Claire's other event leaders who finished in the top five spots of other events include:
- Powers, who took second place in the triple jump, coming in at 13.3.
- Senior Sam Johnson, who took second place in the shot put with a throw of 14.86. Johnson also finished best for the Blugolds in the hammer throw, coming in fifth overall with a distance of 55.24.
- Sophomore Jacob Zander, who took third place in the 800 run, coming in at 1:57.62.
- Junior Corrie Floyd, who took third in the 400 hurdles, clocking in at 56.58.
- Freshman Ryan Bailey, who finished fourth-of-nine in the 10-kilometer run, clocking in at 32:57.14.
- Freshman Bart Mestelle, who finished fourth in the high jump with a height of 1.74 - 20 centimeters short of first place.
In Kansas, the 1,600 relay team of junior Tim Braunschweig, freshman Patrick Mackin, Kupfer and junior Justin White took 12th place in the preliminary round Friday. Only the top eight finishers proceeded to the finals.
Women
Leading the women's team were freshman Julia Baranek, who tied for first in the high jump with a leap of 1.6; senior Chelsea Becker, who took first in the triple jump with a distance of 11.38; and freshman Brittany Frederick, who scored a distance of 42.82 to claim first in the discus throw.
Other Blugold event leaders with top-five finishes include:
- Frederick, who finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 50.73 and fourth in the shot put at 12.52.
- Freshman Teresa Coughlin, who finished second in the 10-kilometer run at 41:52.87 - nearly a full minute in front of the third-place finisher.
- Sophomore Liz Amici, who took third in the 100 hurdles at 15.58.
- Freshmen Suzie Heller and Bridget Sarafin, who finished in a four-way tie for fourth-place in the pole vault at a height of 2.97.
In Kansas, senior Liz Kooistra took first place in the 400 dash with a time of 55.12, with junior Haylee Suckow delivering a 3.7 meter launch for second place in the pole vault.
The 1,600 relay team advanced to the finals, where team members senior Laura Broner, freshman Talisa Emberts, Suckow and Kooistra took eighth of eight.
On Friday, the 400 relay team of junior Amy Bachinski, freshman Jordanne Greenup, junior Briana Berg and Emberts took 12th in the preliminaries but did not advance.
- The Spectator staff
The women's team, relying on first-place performances in three events, finished fourth in a field of eight in the same meet Friday.
Both teams also sent runners to the University of Kansas this weekend to compete in the Kansas Relays.
Men
Senior Chris Kupfer took first in the 400 dash with a time of 49.67 seconds. Senior Andy Warren was about 10 full seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the steeplechase with a final time of nine minutes, 44.41 seconds.
Eau Claire's 1,600 relay team finished ahead of four other conference opponents to take first place with a time of 3:21.79. No individual team members were listed.
Junior Dan Powers handed in the Blugolds' only first-place performance in the field at Winona Friday, winning the long jump by less than a centimeter at a distance of 6.46 meters.
Some of Eau Claire's other event leaders who finished in the top five spots of other events include:
- Powers, who took second place in the triple jump, coming in at 13.3.
- Senior Sam Johnson, who took second place in the shot put with a throw of 14.86. Johnson also finished best for the Blugolds in the hammer throw, coming in fifth overall with a distance of 55.24.
- Sophomore Jacob Zander, who took third place in the 800 run, coming in at 1:57.62.
- Junior Corrie Floyd, who took third in the 400 hurdles, clocking in at 56.58.
- Freshman Ryan Bailey, who finished fourth-of-nine in the 10-kilometer run, clocking in at 32:57.14.
- Freshman Bart Mestelle, who finished fourth in the high jump with a height of 1.74 - 20 centimeters short of first place.
In Kansas, the 1,600 relay team of junior Tim Braunschweig, freshman Patrick Mackin, Kupfer and junior Justin White took 12th place in the preliminary round Friday. Only the top eight finishers proceeded to the finals.
Women
Leading the women's team were freshman Julia Baranek, who tied for first in the high jump with a leap of 1.6; senior Chelsea Becker, who took first in the triple jump with a distance of 11.38; and freshman Brittany Frederick, who scored a distance of 42.82 to claim first in the discus throw.
Other Blugold event leaders with top-five finishes include:
- Frederick, who finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 50.73 and fourth in the shot put at 12.52.
- Freshman Teresa Coughlin, who finished second in the 10-kilometer run at 41:52.87 - nearly a full minute in front of the third-place finisher.
- Sophomore Liz Amici, who took third in the 100 hurdles at 15.58.
- Freshmen Suzie Heller and Bridget Sarafin, who finished in a four-way tie for fourth-place in the pole vault at a height of 2.97.
In Kansas, senior Liz Kooistra took first place in the 400 dash with a time of 55.12, with junior Haylee Suckow delivering a 3.7 meter launch for second place in the pole vault.
The 1,600 relay team advanced to the finals, where team members senior Laura Broner, freshman Talisa Emberts, Suckow and Kooistra took eighth of eight.
On Friday, the 400 relay team of junior Amy Bachinski, freshman Jordanne Greenup, junior Briana Berg and Emberts took 12th in the preliminaries but did not advance.
- The Spectator staff
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