WIAC CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

TEAM FINISH: The women’s team placed 8th out of 9 teams and was a mere nine points from seventh while the men’s team placed 7th out of 9 teams and was only twelve points from sixth.

TEAM STATS
WOMEN’S TEAM: The team’s top five runners had a total team time of 120:44 for an average of 24:09 per runner and a spread of 1:28. The team’s top seven runners had a total team time of 170:51 for an average of 24:24 per runner for a spread of 1:43. Both the Top 5 & 7 runners showed significant improvement as the Top 5 were about 42 seconds a person faster and the Top 7 runners were about 46 seconds faster per person.

MEN’S TEAM: The team’s top five runners had a total team time of 133:28 for an average of 26:42 per runner and a spread of 1:47. The team’s top seven runners had a total team time of 189:33 for an average of 27:05 per runner for a spread of 2:27. Both the Top 5 & 7 runners showed significant improvement as the Top 5 were about 53 seconds a person faster and the Top 7 runners were about 40 seconds faster per person.


’07 PLACE IMPROVEMENT:
WOMEN’S TEAM: Rachel Richardson (2), Abbey Ring (8)
MEN’S TEAM: Joey Merrill (9), David Schonscheck (16), Matt Kennedy (27), Nate Carey (42)

SEASON BEST
WOMEN’S TEAM: Stephanie Libby (:03), Emily Stenzel (:24), Michelle Lewis (:30), Rachel Richardson (:35), Bonnie Wold (:37), Katie Schneiderman (:47), Abbey Ring (:50), Erica Schweikert (:59), Angie Raasch (1:03), Bridgette Crozier (1:05), Charity Cook & Karla Kultgen(1:22)

MEN’S TEAM: Zach Becker (:07), Joey Merrill (:09), Peter Johnston (:12), Austin Thorson (:36), David Schonscheck (:39), Clint Loker (:49), Sam Rabideau (:51), Matt Kennedy (1:00), Josh Schmidt (1:12), Nate Carey (1:30)

PERSONAL BEST
WOMEN’S TEAM: Abbey Ring & Stephanie Libby (:03), Emily Stenzel (:24), Rachel Richardson (:35), Katie Schneiderman (:47), Erica Schweikert (:59), Angie Raasch (1:03), Karla Kultgen (1:22)
MEN’S TEAM: Joey Merrill (:04), Zach Becker (:07), Peter Johnston (:12), David Schonscheck (:15), Austin Thorson (:36), Matt Kennedy (:43), Clint Loker (:49), Sam Rabideau (:51), Nate Carey (1:30)

STUD OF THE MEET: Bridgette Crozier & Nate Carey

SUMMARY
On Saturday, the nine Division III WIAC schools met in Winneconne, Wisconsin at the Lake Breeze Golf Course to determine the official 2007 pecking order. Year-in and year-out the WIAC is the nation’s toughest Division III Conference, and 2007 was no different as both the men’s and women’s race featured four ranked teams. As expected, the UW-La Crosse men’s team easily walked away with its fourth straight title and twenty-ninth in school history. The real showdown came in the women’s race as UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville battled throughout the 6000 meters to determine this year’s champ. UW-Eau Claire squeaked out the win for just their second WIAC Championship and first since 1985 by just five points over UW-Platteville who was vying for its first.

In the women’s race, Oshkosh’s Ayla Mitchell won the title in 21:26 (5:46 average over almost 4 miles). Stout’s Abbey Ring ran a personal best to lead the team with a twenty-ninth place finish in 23:25. With two-kilometers to go Abbey was within reach of moving into the Top 20, what it takes to earn Honorable Mention Honors, and despite making the push for it, she came up just short of it finishing less than twenty seconds out. Shortly behind Abbey was a string of Stout finishers led by Bridgette Crozier. The trio of Bridgette, Rachel Richardson, and Emily Stenzel all ran season best and with Karla Kultgen running a big PR the team placed five runners under the 25-minute mark for the first time this season. Finishing just after Karla was Michelle Lewis and Katie Schneiderman to round out the team’s Top 7. Angie Raasch had another great day as she to nearly cracked the 25-minute mark as the team’s eight runner. Stephanie Libby, Bonnie Wold, Erica Schweikert, and Charity Cook all ran at least season best times to round out the team’s twelve lady roster. All in all, the team had about the best day it could as the lady’s finished in eighth place. The team was edged by Whitewater by a mere nine points, but going in I thought it would take a perfect race on our part to have a shot at beating anyone but Superior. While we had a real good day with twelve season best and eight personal best, I feel like a second run on the course will be very advantageous and set us up to finish in the top third of the field at the upcoming NCAA Regional meet which features about forty Midwest Division III teams.

On the men’s side, Plateville’s Tyler Sigl etched his name in the record books by just the fourth person to win at least three WIAC Titles finishing the 8000 meter race in 24:11 (4:53 average over 5 miles). Sophomore Nate Carey had the race of his life, to-date, to become just the second Stout man to earn Honorable Conference Honors in the last four years. Although Nate was 41st at the mile, he stayed the course and ran his race and by the 3-mile mark he had moved into twentieth place. He finished in sixteenth with a personal best by 1:30. David Schonscheck followed in 37th place with the team’s second personal best of the day, a trend that would continue. In fact, the team’s Top 8 finishers ran PR’s to help lead the team to a seventh place finish and just twelve points from sixth. Matt Kennedy, Clint Loker, and Peter Johnston rounded out the team’s scorers and Joey Merrill and Austin Thorson rounded out the team’s Top seven with Sam Rabideau finishing right behind them. Jon Golem and Josh Schmidt finished within tenths of one another and rounding out the teams Top 12 were Mark Parker and Zach Becker. It was a real strong run for the team and should set us up for an interesting race at the NCAA Regional in two weeks.

The Studs of the Meet were senior Bridgette Crozier and sophomore Nate Carey. Bridgette took another huge stride towards 100%, as she took off another minute and cracked the 24 mark for the first time this season. Nate had the race of the day as he ran a personal best of 1:30 to go sub 26 and earn Honorable Mention Honors for the first time in his career as he moved up 42 spots from last year’s race.