The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men’s track and field team has once again proven their prowess by clinching their third consecutive NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship. The event took place over three days at the Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex, culminating on May 23.
This victory marks the 18th national title in the program’s history and the 21st NCAA Division III men’s outdoor track and field championship won by a team from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Since the 1982-83 academic year, WIAC teams have amassed a remarkable 138 NCAA Division III team championships.
UW-La Crosse secured the championship with a total of 106 points, outpacing Rowan University from New Jersey, which finished second with 85 points. UW-Oshkosh claimed third place with 55 points, followed by the State University of New York Geneseo with 39 points, and UW-Eau Claire with 34 points.
Individual Achievements
Luke Schroeder of UW-La Crosse set a meet record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.42 seconds, highlighting the individual achievements of the team. UW-Oshkosh’s Joshua Rivers also stood out by winning his third consecutive long jump title with a leap of 25-9 1/2 (7.86m), joining an elite group of athletes in NCAA Division III history.
Other notable performances included Gavin Fritsch of UW-Oshkosh, who claimed the discus title with a throw of 181-0 (55.17m), and the 4×100-meter relay team from UW-Oshkosh, which set a meet record with a time of 39.25 seconds.
WIAC’s Strong Presence
The WIAC’s strong presence was further emphasized by UW-Eau Claire’s Blake Postler, who won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 49.88 seconds, becoming only the second individual in NCAA Division III history to achieve a sub-50-second time in this event. Gage Stankiewicz of UW-Eau Claire also excelled, winning the shot put with a throw of 61-7 (18.77m).
Athletes from the WIAC earned numerous All-America honors, with top performances across various events, demonstrating the depth and talent within the conference.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
