March 3, 2004
TWO HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY
MENOMONIE - UW-Oshkosh's Elizabeth Woodworth and UW-La Crosse's Angela Klatt have an opportunity to accomplish what hasn't been done since the mid-1980s - win four consecutive indoor track and field titles in the same event.
UW-Stout is the host for the 28th annual Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships, March 5-6.
Only two competitors have ever won four consecutive titles and, interestingly, they both came in the same event that is no longer run in the WIAC championships. Laura Horejs of Oshkosh won the 1000-meter run from 1989-92, while Carol Howard of La Crosse won the 1000-yard run from 1979-82.
Woodworth is the three-time defending champion in the 800-meter run and is posting the top time coming into the 2004 championships. Woodworth, who is coming off a conference title at the 2003 WIAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Stout last fall and is the defending national champion in the indoor 800, has clocked a time of 2-minutes, 11.38 seconds to automatically qualify for the NCAA championships.
Woodworth will be pushed in the event by the 2003 second place finisher, Leah Herlache of UW-Stevens Point and fellow Titan, Emily Steinhafl, who finished third last year. The Pointers' Jenna Mitchler has clicked off the second-best time of this year (2:16.23).
Klatt has won the last three indoor 200-meter titles, but has not posted the top qualifying time in the event. That honor goes to Katelyn Freidel of UW-Whitewater. But Friedel is not entered in the 200, but instead in the 400-meter dash where she has the top time (58.05).
Woodworth and Klatt headline five defending champions in seven different events. Woodworth returns to defend her 1500-meter title and Klatt took the conference title in the 55-meter dash last year. In addition, both performers were members of relay teams that have won titles the last two years - Woodworth as a member of the distance medley relay and Klatt as a member of both the 4x200- and 4x400-relay teams.
UW-Stout's Laura Verdegan returns to defend her triple jump title. Verdegan set a conference record (40-feet, 4-inches) in the event at Oshkosh to stop an eight-year reign of Titan titles. Verdegan, just fresh off the completion of the basketball season, has the top distance of 37-7.25 set last week, which is currently the sixth best in the country. UW-Eau Claire's Jennifer Stafslien is seeded second with a distance of 37-3.75, and was fourth last year.
Julia Rudd of La Crosse won the 5000-meter run last season in a time of 17-minutes, 53.76-seconds, but is seeded second behind UW-Platteville's Jackie Mulrooney, a transfer from UW-Madison. Mulrooney has a seed time of 17:34.12 and Rudd, 17:38.09, both NCAA provisional qualifying times.
Pentathlete Julie Hoch of Oshkosh rounds out the defending champions. Hoch, a sophomore, won the event as a freshman with 3151 points.
Verdegan and Stafslien will have company in the long jump. Verdegan was the runner-up last season and Stafslien was second. This year's top distance is held by Whitewater sophomore Kari Jacobs. Jacobs and Stafslien are the only two to have cleared 18 feet this year. Verdegan went 17-9 in her lone competition.
Stafslien is the top seed in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.44, set last week. She was second in the event last year.
Friedel (58.05), Klatt (58.59) and Stevens Points' Marie Burrows (58.32) have all hit national standards in the 400-meter dash, as have Hoch (5-5.75) and UW-River Falls' Jillian Crandall (5-6) in the high jump.
Three performers have punched their ticket automatically to the NCAA Championships in the weight throw - Oshkosh's Robyn Jarocki (66-7.75) and Penny Godleske (57-8.50) and Stout's Marci Schachtner (57-8.50).
Jarocki will also throw at nationals in the shot put (49-5.75). Five other competitors have reached the provisional mark, including Oshkosh's Danielle Rankin, River Falls' Stepanie Dura, Stout's Ann Schachtner, Stevens Points' Julia Slabosheski and La Crosse's Sonja Peterson.
Five pole vaulters have cleared 11-feet, with last year's runner-up Bethany Renner of La Crosse (11-10.75) leading the way. Add to that list the Titans' Kelly Rhen (11-5.75), Eau Claire's Chelsea Romportl (11-0.75) and La Crosse's Lisa Trybom (11-0.25) and Lindsey Doedens (11-0.25), last year's third place performer.
This year's team battle figures to be a close one between La Crosse, Oshkosh and Stevens Point. Either La Crosse and Oshkosh have won the team title or finished second since 1987. The Eagles have won the last four titles, with Oshkosh second during the same span. La Crosse has won 13 team titles, while Oshkosh has won 10 team titles, their latest coming in 1999. Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee are the only other schools to win team titles.
