DULUTH, Minn.: The UW-Superior men's track and field team owns a commanding 46.5-point lead on second-place St. Scholastica after Day 1 of the 2019 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at Burns Wellness Commons Friday.
 
Senior thrower C.J. Pillath (Coleman, Wis./Coleman) won the weight throw and the 4x200-meter relay squad of junior Matt Carlson (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown), freshmen Cody Fernandez (Duluth, Minn./Proctor) and Lennon Shimon (Albert Lea, Minn/Albert Lea Senior) and sophomore Jake Weston (Eveleth, Minn./Eveleth-Gilbert Senior) claimed that event to give the Yellowjackets a solid start.
 
UWS leads with 115.5 points through eight events, and is poised to earn its third consecutive UMAC indoor crown Saturday. Minnesota Morris sits in third with 44 points, while Northwestern (31), Bethany Lutheran (21.5) and Crown (10) follow.
 
The 'Jackets scored 21 points in the weight throw with the help of Pillath's season-best toss of 18.17 meters to lead the way. Senior Fauston Wirtz (Esko, Minn./Esko) was second with a mark of 16.38 meters, and freshman Brock Phernetton (Frederic, Wis./Frederic) was sixth with a heave of 13.20 meters.
 
The other event victory on the day came from the 4x200 team, which ran 1:34.19 to beat Northwestern (1:37.85). 
 
The 400-meter dash yielded another 17 points for Superior, as Weston was second in 51.45, pacing a group of four scorers with a season-best time. Shimon finished fifth overall in a personal-best 53.48. Carlson was sixth in a personal best of his own at 53.92, and junior Andre Couture (Culver, Minn./Cloquet) finished seventh for two points in 53.94.
 
The distance group had a strong day as the 'Jackets scored 17 points in the 5,000-meter run and another 15 in the mile.
 
Junior Henry Seeb (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) was third in the 5,000 in 16:08.42. Sophomore Sam Smith (Stevens Point, Wis./Stevens Point Area Senior) and junior Harrison Hirsch (Vadnais Heights, Minn./Mounds View) were fourth and sixth, respectively, in 16:30.59 and 17:00.41. Sophomore Travis Gee (Minocqua, Wis./Lakeland Union) (17:30.72, seventh) and senior Zach Mazurek (Bessemer, Mich./Bessemer) (17:30.74, eighth) rounded out the scorers there.
 
In the mile, Mazurek was third overall in a personal-best 4:35.48. Sophomore Tyler Finger (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) recorded a personal-best 4:40.56 for fifth, followed by senior Rand Bieri (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet) in sixth at 4:46.40 and Seeb seventh in a personal-best 4:48.12.
 
Freshman Jonny Kasper (Pierz, Minn./Healy) was second in the high jump with a personal-best leap of 1.85 meters for eight points. Freshman Brady Emstrom (Medford, Wis./Gilman) was fourth overall at 1.75 meters and sophomore Brett Goplen (Hugo, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran Academy) sixth at 1.70 meters.
 
Superior posted 11.5 points in the long jump with Emstrom, Kasper and Weston scoring. Emstrom was third with a personal-best leap of 6.23 meters, Kasper tied for fifth at 6.18 meters and Weston was seventh in 5.73 meters.
 
Finally, sophomores Derrick Moe (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet), Joe Chucka (Couderay, Wis./Birchwood), freshman Isaiah Arntson (Esko, Minn./Proctor) and Finger were second in the distance-medley relay in a season-best 11:10.88.
 
The meet concludes Saturday with events beginning at 11 a.m.