RIPON, Wis. – The Yellowjacket men's track and field team defended it Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) title last weekend, and this weekend a select group of athletes took to the road, looking for one last chance to hit their marks and qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The venue – the Ripon NCAA Last Chance Qualifier.
Friday's portion of the meet was for the multi events, and the Yellowjackets didn't compete that day. Saturday, things morphed into a full meet, and the Yellowjackets had a handful of people competing.
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets was
Garrett Kroells (Green Isle, Minn./Sibley East). Competing in the 200-meter dash, Kroells placed fourth, coming across the line with a time of 23.55 seconds. He narrowly missed reaching his season best, which he hit last weekend at the UMAC Championships.
Senior
Aidan Doherty (Wild Rose, Wis./Wild Rose) competed in the mile Saturday. He established a new personal record, finishing with a time of 4:28.43. Doherty placed fifth overall in the event.
In the field events,
Carson Wilhorn (Necedah, Wis./Necedah), who won a conference title last week, claimed a top-10 finish in the weight throw. Wilhorn had a heave of 15.12 meters, which was good for ninth place overall.
Garrett Lynch (Portage, Wis./Portage) competed in a pair of events. Lynch posted a season best in the pole vault, clearing the bar at a height of 4.32 meters. It was his first and only attempt at that height. He ended up placing fifth. Lynch also competed in the high jump but was unable to register a mark in three attempts.
Saturday closed out the indoor season for the Yellowjackets, who will now turn their attention to the outdoor portion of their schedule. The first outdoor meet will be at SJU Optimistic Invite at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minn. Events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 29.
