Panther Women Reclaim League CrownMarch 2, 2003 MILWAUKEE - After finishing a disappointing third a year ago at the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's track and field team proved the road to the league title still goes through Milwaukee, as the Panthers captured their third league championship Sunday afternoon at the Klotsche Center. Lynda Thiel was named Outstanding Performer for Field events, while Pete Corfeld picked up league Coach of the Year honors. Kristy Naef led five Panthers in the 60m dash, finishing first in 7.81, following on the heels of her league-record-setting performance in the prelims, where she finished in 7.76. Nicole Frey was second in 7.88, while Laura Diers was third in 7.90 and Sara Vanderloop was fourth in 7.95. Iris Perez was the fifth finisher for the Panthers, coming in sixth in 7.99. Naef would also finish second in the 60m hurdles in 8.95, followed by Stephanie Kenesie in third in 9.02. Jill Naus added a fifth-place finish in the event, finishing in 9.21.
The Panthers had the top four finishers in the 200m dash, led by Frey's win in 25.30. Vanderloop was second in 25.79, followed by Perez in 26.31 and Diers in 26.45. In the 400m, Katie Seep was fourth, while Teresa Braunreiter was sixth in 59.12. Natalie Miko added a sixth-place finish in the 800m in 2:23.28, with Abby Hurst chipping in with a pair of scoring performances. Hurst was fifth in the 1000m in 3:02.02, alongside teammate Katie Anderson, who was sixth in 3:02.52. Hurst also finished fifth in the 3000m in 10:23.44, with teammate Christine Wampach in fifth in 10:14.44
The women's team of Vanderloop, Tenia Fisher, Braunreiter and Seep won the 4x400m relay, finishing in a new league record time of 3:57.98, while the distance medley relay team of Anderson, Katie Slamka, Hurst and Wampach as second in 12:20.38. In field events, Stephanie Kenesie defended her long jump title, setting a new Klotsche Center and Horizon League record with a jump of 19'5 1/2" (5.93m). Naef was fourth with a jump of 18'1" (5.51m), with Thiel in sixth with a jump of 17'6 3/4" (5.35m). Kenesie was second in the triple jump with a jump of 37'6 1/2" (11.44m), with Michelle Fritsch in fourth, jumping 36'11" (11.25m) and Kalin Konop in fifth with a jump of 36'7 3/4" (11.17m). Thiel won the pole vault, clearing 11' (3.35m), with Stephanie Ray in fourth after clearing 8'6" (2.59m), Michelle Fritsch in fifth, clearing 8' (2.44m) along with Nicole Castona, who finished sixth after also clearing 8' but placing lower on misses. Thiel also claimed victory in the high jump, clearing 5'7 1/4" (1.71m). Stephanie Kenesie wound up sixth in the event, clearing 5'3 3/4" (1.62m). Milwaukee won the title by scoring 165 points. Detroit and Loyola tied for second with 97 points, followed by Youngstown State with 84 points. Butler had 44 points, with UIC in sixth with 34 points. Wright State finished seventh with 4 points. The Panthers will now compete next weekend in a last-chance qualifier to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships. It is expected that a portion of the team will head to Iowa State, while others could go to Notre Dame for the weekend qualifier. |
