Indoor Track and Field

Category: Indoor Track and Field

Schrobilgen, Gniot grab wins Bowlus Invitational

MENOMONIE, Wis. — Erin Schrobilgen and Ethan Gniot both picked up wins to lead Lawrence University on Saturday at the UW-Stout Warren Bowlus Invitational.

Schrobilgen won the 5,000 in 19:14.92 to lead Lawrence to a sweep of the top seven spots in the race. Hannah Kinzer grabbed second in 20:04.11, and Margaret Huck was third in 20:27.54.

The Vikings had two top-four finishers in the 800 meters as Noelle Hele grabbed third in 2:26.11 and Kate Kilgus was fourth in 2:29.18. Sage Greenlee leaped to third in the high jump at 4 feet, 11 inches. The Vikings also got a fifth-place finish from Kendra Thomas in the 200 meters in 28.28 seconds.

Lawrence’s 800 relay team was third in 1:52.31, and the 1,600 relay was fifth in 4:25.17.

Gniot led the Lawrence men by racing to victory in the 800 meters. Gniot took first in 1:58.64, which was 0.06 seconds ahead of Ripon’s Michael Allen.

JP Ranumas grabbed fourth in the 60 hurdles in 8.99 seconds, and Cole Ericksonw as fifth in the high jump at 5-5. Lawrence’s 1,600 relay team took fourth in 3:35.81, and the 800 relay was fifth in 1:41.72.

Results

Gniot races to MWC Performer of the Week honor

Ethan Gniot
Ethan Gniot

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University freshman Ethan Gniot has been named the Midwest Conference Track Performer of the Week following his first collegiate meet.

Competing at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Jan. 17, Gniot (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) posted the 30th-fastest time in the nation in the mile. Gniot, who established a lifetime best in the event by nearly 20 seconds, finished in 4:25.49.

Gniot easily has the fastest time in the Midwest Conference in the event as well. His time is nearly seven seconds ahead of the second-fastest performance in the event this season.

This is the first time Lawrence has won one of the conference’s weekly honors since JP Ranumas won the track award on May 7, 2014. It is the first time Lawrence has won an award during the indoor season since Rose Tepper took the women’s field honor on Feb. 8, 2011.

Lawrence returns to action on Jan. 30-31 when the Vikings travel to UW-Stout for the Warren Bowlus Open.

Ranumas grabs win in 60 hurdles to pace Vikings

OSHKOSH, Wis. — JP Ranumas won one event and placed in three others Saturday to lead the Lawrence University track team at the UW-Oshkosh Triangular at Kolf Sports Center.

Ranumas grabbed first in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.69 seconds. Ranumas also took fourth in the 200 meters in 24.02 seconds, and grabbed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 10.25 inches. Ranumas also took eighth in the 60 meters in 7.45 seconds.

Other top finishers on the men’s side were Max Edwards, who took second in the 3,000 in 9:23.27, and Ethan Gniot, who was third in the mile in 4:25.49.

Freshman Noelle Hele was competing in her first collegiate meet and grabbed second in the mile in 5:40.52. Erin Schrobilgen also took home a second-place finish, grabbing the runner-up spot in the 3,000 in 10:50.73.

UW-Oshkosh won both the men’s and women’s meet. The Vikings were third in both, scoring 52 points on the men’s side and 50 on the women’s side.

Results

Lawrence track teams honored for academic achievement

APPLETON, Wis. — Both Lawrence University track and field teams have been honored for their academic achievement by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Lawrence women’s and men’s squads were both chosen as All-Academic Teams by the coaches association. To be eligible for selection, a team must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.10 or higher.

The Lawrence women had the highest GPA among the five Midwest Conference schools to be honored. The two dozen members of the team compiled a 3.52 GPA and earned the All-Academic Team honor for the fifth consecutive season.

On the men’s side, Lawrence was one of four schools from the Midwest Conference to make the cut. The Lawrence men, which had more than 20 team members, posted a GPA of 3.18. The Lawrence men have won the award four of the past five years.

The teams have enjoyed great success in the classroom during the tenure of Lawrence head coach Jason Fast. In the past five years, Lawrence has earned All-Academic Team honors 19 of a possible 20 times with the men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track squads.

Six to be inducted into Lawrence Hall of Fame

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome six new members when two coaches and four athletes are inducted in October.

Current softball coach and Associate Director of Athletics Kim Tatro and former men’s basketball coach John Tharp will be inducted, along with softball and volleyball star Jenny Burris, men’s basketball standout Doug Fyfe, track and field star Don Kersemeier and football standout Zach Michael.

The induction ceremony takes place on Oct. 10, and the inductees will be honored at the Fall Festival football game on Oct. 11. The public is welcome to attend and may call 920-832-7019 to make a reservation.

Jenny Burris Paramski, Class of 2004

Jenny Burris was a two-sport star that rewrote the Lawrence softball record book and collected a bevy of post-season awards.

A four-time All-Midwest Conference North Division selection and four-time All-Great Lakes Region pick, Burris played shortstop and was a career .436 hitter. Burris won North Division Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003, and earned first-team all-region honors in the final three years of her career.

Burris set Lawrence career records in hits (184), runs scored (123), doubles (38), triples (10), total bases (266) and stolen bases (103). She hit a career-best .494 in 2003 and drove in a career-high 27 runs in 2004.

Burris set Lawrence season records with 37 runs scored and 79 total bases in 2001 and 37 stolen bases in 2002. She also set a Lawrence game record with three doubles vs. Thomas College in 2003.

Led by Burris, the Vikings won North Division titles in 2002 and 2003 and earned a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for three consecutive years from 2002 through 2004. Lawrence compiled a record of 71-57-1 and had four consecutive winning seasons during Burris’ time with the team.

Burris was nearly as good on the volleyball court as she was on the softball diamond. A three-time All-Midwest Conference selection, Burris was a first-team selection in 2000 and 2003 and was a second-team pick in 2001. Burris finished her career as the Lawrence leader with 1,908 digs and was sixth with 652 kills.

An outside hitter, Burris played more of an offensive role as a freshman in 2000 and piled up a career-best 228 kills, an average of 2.48 per set, and 376 digs. Burris was a defensive specialist during her senior season and set both season and match records for digs in 2003. She piled up 39 digs to set the match record against Carroll University and finished the season with a record 769 digs.

Burris was a star on the 2001 team that set a school record with a 19-12 mark and posted the school’s highest finish ever, third place, in the Midwest Conference.

Burris works as an accounting officer and the facilities and purchasing manager at Libertyville Bank and Trust. She and her husband, Eric, live in Beach Park, Ill., with their two dogs, Onnie and Rosie.

Doug Fyfe, Class of 1976

Doug Fyfe was a dominant post player for the Lawrence University basketball squad and set a career scoring standard that would stand for nearly two decades.

The 6-foot-5 center from Palatine, Ill., scored 1,342 points to set the school’s career scoring record. He broke the record of fellow Hall of Famer Joel Ungrodt, who set the mark of 1,247 from 1961-64.

A two-time All-Midwest Conference selection, Fyfe averaged 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor for his career. The 15.7 scoring average ranked fifth in school history when he graduated and is still good for seventh on the list. Fyfe grabbed 710 rebounds, which trails only All-American Chris Braier and Brad Childs on the career list.

Fyfe also set Lawrence records for field goals made (500), free throws made (342) and free throws attempted (532).

A team captain, Fyfe enjoyed his best scoring season in 1974-75 when he averaged a career-best 18.1 points and had a career-best 8.6 rebounds per contest. He wasn’t far off that mark during his senior season in 1975-76 when he averaged 17.1 points per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the floor. In both of those seasons, Fyfe earned second-team all-conference honors.

Led by Fyfe, the Vikings started to turn the basketball program around. During his final season of 1975-76, Lawrence hit double digits with 10 victories. It marked the first time Lawrence had won at least 10 games in a season since 1953-54.

Fyfe, who received his law degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1982, is a partner at Bollenbeck Fyfe, S.C., in Appleton. He and his wife, Linda, have four children, Geoff and Ross Fyfe and Patrick and Andrew Rock, and one grandchild.

Don Kersemeier, Class of 1963

Don Kersemeier is one of the fastest men in Lawrence University history. Kersemeier set a trio of Lawrence dash records and won multiple Midwest Conference track and field titles.

A native of Wausau, Wis., Kersemeier was a four-time Midwest Conference champion, winning two titles outdoors and two more indoors. Kersemeier competed for only two varsity seasons, missing one season while studying for a year in India on a Carnegie Foundation grant and freshmen weren’t eligible for varsity competition back then.

Kersemeier was a star on the freshmen team and came out blazing as a sophomore in 1961. He won the 60-yard dash at the Midwest Conference indoor championships. Kersemeier became the man to beat during the outdoor season as he ran the 100 and 220 and was a member of the 880 and mile relay teams.

Kersemeier broke a pair of school records while competing in dual meets against Ripon College in 1961. In April 1961, Kersemeier won the 100 in 9.6 seconds, breaking the 22-year-old record of 9.7 set by Joe Graf at the Beloit College Relays in 1939. Prior to Graf’s record-setting time, the previous mark had stood for 41 years after Jay Merrill set the mark of 9.8 in 1898.

Competing against Ripon in May 1961, Kersemeier broke the record in the 220 as he blazed to victory in 21.0 seconds. That broke the mark of 21.3 set by Bob Whitelaw in 1948. Kersemeier also teamed with Bob Buchanan, Joel Blahnik and Mike Ulwelling to set the school record of 1:35.2 in the 880 relay indoors.

Also highlighting the 1961 outdoor season was a victory in the 100 at the prestigious Beloit Relays and top-three finishes in both the 100 and 220 at the Midwest Conference Championships.

After studying in India in 1961-62, Kersemeier returned to Lawrence in the fall of 1962 and was unbeatable the following spring. Kersemeier started during the indoor season by breaking the school record in the 60-yard dash with a winning time of 6.4 seconds at the Midwest Conference indoor meet.

Kersemeier then piled up 14 event victories during the course of the outdoor season. He was unbeaten in the 100 and 220 during the season and ran on the mile relay team, which picked up multiple victories. Kersemeier capped his career by winning both the 100 in 10.1 seconds and the 220 in 21.5 seconds at the Midwest Conference Championships at Carleton College.

Kersemeier was a two-time winner of the DeGoy Ellis Trophy, which goes to the track man scoring the most points during the season. He captured the award in 1961 and again in 1963.

Kersemeier, who earned his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, spent his professional career as an educator. He was a teacher at Glenbrook North High School and the assistant principal for instruction at Glenbard East High School before becoming the principal at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. He retired in 1997.

Kersemeier and his wife, Mary, have three children, Carolyn, Susan and Craig, and 11 grandchildren. The Kersemeiers split their time between Arlington Heights, Ill., and Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Zach Michael, Class of 2004

Zach Michael is the most prolific pass catcher in the storied history of Lawrence University football. The Appleton native is Lawrence’s career leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Playing wide receiver, Michael was a four-time All-Midwest Conference selection and earned freshman All-America honors in 2000. Michael caught 248 passes for 3,842 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Michael, who played his prep football at Appleton East High School for Lawrence All-American Pat Schwanke, also stands as one of the greatest receivers in Midwest Conference and NCAA Division III history. He set the conference career record for both catches and receiving yards and was fourth in touchdown catches. In Division III, Michael was 12th in receiving yards, 14th in catches and 18th in touchdown catches when he graduated.

Michael set Lawrence game records for catches and yards vs. Monmouth College when he grabbed 15 passes for 279 yards in 2001. Michael also set the Lawrence game record for touchdown catches, grabbing four TD passes against St. Norbert College in 2003. Michael also set the Lawrence record for the longest pass play when he caught a 96-yard touchdown pass from R.J. Rosenthal vs. Monmouth in 2001.

Michael, who caught a pass in all 40 of his games at Lawrence, set the season record when he made 77 catches in 2001. His 1,207 receiving yards in 2001 is the second-highest total in school history.

Michael, who also played baseball as a freshman, works as a senior premier banker at BMO Harris Bank in Appleton. He and his wife, Kayla, live in De Pere and have two children, Hailey and Shawn, and a third child is due in December.

Kim Tatro

Kim Tatro has put together a record that is unmatched in Lawrence history. In 29 seasons (21 in softball, eight in volleyball), Tatro has compiled 430 victories to date, 127 more wins than any coach in Lawrence history.

In 21 seasons as the softball coach, the native of Naperville, Ill., has a record of 339-309-1, and her Vikings won Midwest Conference championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999. A seven-time Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year (2013, 2011, 2006, 2002, 1999, 1998, 1997), Tatro’s Vikings qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1998 and 1999, and Lawrence had a 4-4 mark in those two tournament appearances.

Under Tatro’s guidance, the Vikings have won six North Division championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005) and qualified for the MWC Tournament 10 times since 1997. Lawrence has been to the MWC Tournament in each of the last two seasons, earning a second-place finish in 2013.

The 1999 squad set the school season record with 31 victories, and Tatro’s teams have the top 12 season win totals in school history. Lawrence has compiled a record of 113-105 in conference play during Tatro’s tenure. The Vikings have fared very well against the North Division during Tatro’s career with a record of 104-82. Tatro’s Vikings have winning records against Beloit College (29-18), Carroll University (28-15) and Ripon College (27-22) and won 12 of 14 games against St. Norbert College during one stretch.

Tatro’s first softball season was 1994, and she took over a program that was rebuilding. Just four seasons later, Lawrence had claimed its first MWC championship and piled up 28 victories.

Over the past 21 seasons, Lawrence has had 60 All-MWC selections and 11 players win North Division Pitcher of the Year or Player of the Year. Lawrence has had 35 All-Great Lakes Region selections since 1997. Lawrence also has had more than 50 Academic All-MWC softball selections since 1994, and 47 Vikings have earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete awards.

Tatro guided the Lawrence volleyball team from 1993-2000, and she holds the school record with 91 victories. Her best season as the volleyball coach was 1998 when the Vikings finished 17-12. The 17 victories is the third-highest season win total in Lawrence history. Tatro had 11 All-MWC selections in eight seasons and nearly 20 academic all-conference picks.

This is not the first Hall of Fame selection for Tatro, who has twice been selected for the St. Norbert College Hall of Fame. She was selected individually in 1999 and as a member of the 1984-85 basketball team in 2005. Tatro also was chosen for the Waubonsie Valley High School Hall of Fame in 1993.

Tatro also currently serves as Lawrence’s associate director of athletics and has served in athletics administration at Lawrence for 13 years.

John Tharp

John Tharp changed Lawrence University basketball and put the Vikings on the national stage. In 13 seasons as the Lawrence coach, Tharp compiled a record of 204-108 for a cool .654 winning percentage.

Tharp’s Vikings won four Midwest Conference championships, reached the Elite Eight of the 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament and achieved a No. 1 national ranking. During the three-season stretch from 2003-04 through 2005-06, Lawrence put together the best record among all NCAA Division III schools at 69-12.

Tharp collected seven different Coach of the Year awards, including Midwest Conference Coach of the Year four times (1997, 2004, 2005, 2006). Tharp also earned National Association of Basketball Coaches Midwest Region Coach of the Year accolades in 2004 and 2006 and was named Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2006.

When Tharp came to Lawrence in 1994, the Vikings had never won more than 13 games in a season and hadn’t won a league championship since 1943. In just his third season as head coach, 1996-97, Lawrence went 22-3, won the Midwest Conference championship and played in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time.

Tharp’s teams then put together a remarkable run from 2003-04 through 2005-06 by winning three consecutive conference championships. The 2003-04 team reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament, a first for a Midwest Conference team. The 2005-06 team was the last unbeaten team in the nation and was ranked No. 1 for the final weeks of the season by D3hoops.com. That team went on to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Tharp’s postseason record was 10-3 in Midwest Conference Tournament play and 5-4 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Vikings won four Midwest Conference Tournaments under Tharp and appeared in the tournament seven times.

Tharp also served as Lawrence’s golf coach for 10 seasons from 1995-2004, and the Vikings had a top finish of second place in 2003. Tharp, who was the associate director of athletics during the latter years of his career at Lawrence, also coached MWC champions Jeff Henderson in 2002 and Joe Loehnis in 2003.

A native of Sheboygan, Wis., Tharp has served as the head men’s basketball coach at Hillsdale College since 2007. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Hillsdale, Mich., and have three children, McKayla, Logan and Lukas.

Lawrence student-athletes honored on academic all-conference team

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University had 165 student-athletes earn Academic All-Midwest Conference honors for 2013-14.

To be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 during the academic year.

The women’s swimming and diving team led Lawrence with 16 student-athletes honored. Lawrence had five other teams that had double-digit selections — women’s outdoor track and field, women’s cross country, women’s indoor track and field, women’s soccer and men’s soccer.

The women’s outdoor track and field team was next with 15 student-athletes honored. Women’s cross country had 13 of its 16 team members chosen, and women’s indoor track and field had 13 selections. Women’s soccer had 10 selections, and women’s tennis saw nine of its 11 student-athletes chosen.

Lawrence’s top men’s team was soccer, which had 10 selections. Men’s golf had seven of its 11 student-athletes chosen.

Lawrence had 64 student-athletes chosen from the fall season, 57 from the winter season and 44 from the spring season.

Complete list

Lawrence student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — Sixteen Lawrence University student-athletes were recently honored at the 2014 Honors Celebration.

The awards and winners are as follows.

The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Junior Taylor Winter (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) won the award after completing another stellar season. Winter won the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle at the 2014 Midwest Conference Championships and also took the 1,650 title in the Wisconsin Private College Championships. A three-time MWC champion, Winter also holds the school records in both the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Junior Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) is a reserve on the men’s basketball team and deeply involved in campus life. A member of the Dean’s List and Mortar Board, Borresen has a 3.89 grade point average and is majoring in history. Borresen is set to capture his third consecutive Academic All-Midwest Conference selection. The co-chairman of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Borresen also works in the Lawrence’s sports information office and for the Lawrentian, the student newspaper.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Blake Roubos (Niagara Falls, Ontario/St. Michael’s) won the award after lettering in two sports during his rookie year at Lawrence. A hockey and tennis standout, Roubos was named to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association all-freshmen team and was named a NCHA Player of the Week during the season. Roubos led the team in scoring with 26 points on a team-best 16 assists and 10 goals. Roubos recorded his first career hat trick and the first hat trick for a Lawrence player since the 2009-10 season when he scored three times in a 4-2 win over Finlandia University that clinched a berth in the NCHA playoffs. Roubos had a season-best five points and a season-high three assists to go with two goals in Lawrence’s 6-6 nonconference tie with Gustavus Adolphus College early in the season. Roubos was a starter at No. 3 doubles and played matches at No. 6 singles for tennis team. Roubos and Sam Wiener won the consolation title at No. 3 doubles at the Midwest Conference Championships.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Amy Hutchings (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) earned the award after earning letters in both cross country and track and field. During the cross country season, Hutchings finished ninth at the Midwest Conference Championships to earn all-conference honors. Hutchings, who is one of just three women in Lawrence history to finish in the conference’s top 10 as a freshman, led Lawrence to a third-place finish at the league meet. Hutchings also competed in multiple distance events in both indoor and outdoor track.

The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Luke Barthelmess (Appleton, Wis./Principia) completed a record-setting career at quarterback for the Lawrence football team. A 2013 All-Midwest Conference selection, Barthelmess completed 193 of 346 passes for 2,133 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished second in the league at 213.3 passing yards per game. Barthelmess also ran 177 times for 889 yards and two touchdowns. Barthelmess, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry, finished eighth in the conference at 88.9 yards per game. Barthelmess also finished first in the league in total offense at 302.2 yards per game. Barthelmess, who is Lawrence’s career leader in a number of passing categories, completed 648 of 1,181 passes in his career. He threw for a record 8,190 yards and a record 62 touchdown passes. Barthelmess, who was named the MVP at the Bowl of the Stars in Mexico, is the starting quarterback for the Stuttgart Scorpions of the German Football League.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Men is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior man in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Dan Thoresen (Verona, Wis./Verona) earned the award after completing a stellar career in cross country and track and field. Thoresen earned All-Midwest Conference honors four times in track and field and was a member of Lawrence’s 2011 conference championship cross country squad. A biology major, Thoresen has a 3.935 grade point average in biology.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. The award had two winners this year as seniors Mary Diduch (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) and Hannah Gabriel (Elmhurst, Ill./York) shared the award. Diduch won four letters in softball and was part of the 2014 and 2014 squads that reached the Midwest Conference Tournament. Diduch also worked as a student manager for the football team and served in a leadership position with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Gabriel was a two-time Midwest Conference champion, taking the title twice in the 200-yard freestyle and setting a meet record in the event. Gabriel also holds the school record in the 200 freestyle and is part of record-holding teams in the 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay and 800 freestyle relay.

The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:

Brielle Bartes (Waukesha, Wis./Mukwonago), volleyball, softball and track and field

Jamie Brisbois (Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville), cross country and track and field

Katherine Dannecker (Milwaukee, Wis./Arts), cross country and track and field

Kevin Fitzgerald (Naperville, Ill./North), cross country and track and field

Alyssa Herman (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township), cross country and track and field

Sam Luebke (Greendale, Wis./Greendale), indoor and outdoor track and field

Mike Mangian (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South), cross country and track and field

Charlie Mann (Denver, Colo./Littleton), men’s soccer and swimming

Andy Paider (Denmark, Wis./Denmark), football and track and field

Dan Thoresen (Verona, Wis./Verona), cross country and track and field

Inside LU Athletics: Swick battles back from hunting accident

The first thing he did was move his arms and legs and realize he wasn’t paralyzed.

It was a chilly early evening this past December, and Spencer Swick knew he was hurt. Swick, a junior track and football standout at Lawrence University who will compete in this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships, was laying flat on his back in a Marinette County forest.

Swick had been deer hunting in a tree stand, but the light was fading so it was time to call it a day. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Swick had to climb down to the ladder using a couple of branches.

“Both of the branches I was holding onto broke, and I fell straight back, 18 or 19 feet. I landed right on my back,” Swick said.

“I felt (my back) crack. By far the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

Swick said those few seconds he was in the air were a bit surreal.

“It’s such a blur, just falling,” Swick said. “I honestly didn’t think I was going to hit the ground at some point. It seemed to take forever.”

Getting over the initial shock took a few minutes, Swick said. He gathered himself and checked to see if all his limbs were working. The thought of paralysis immediately came to mind.

“The first thing I did was try to move,” Swick said. “When I could, I just put that out of my head.”

Swick, who received some cushioning from the backpack he was wearing, quickly found his mobile phone. He texted his uncle, who had been on his way to pick him up.

By the time his uncle arrived, Swick had somehow managed to sit up. He walked out of the woods under his power, but even a guy this tough knew he was hurt.

“The pain was so much, I had to go to the hospital,” Swick said.

They drove about 90 minutes to a hospital in Oconto Falls, and Swick was told he had a compression fracture of the L1 vertebrae and a herniated disc. Some of the first people he called were Lawrence football coach Mike Barthelmess and track and field coach Jason Fast.

“Right away when you hear hunting accident, you never think it’s a good thing. It’s never something minor, at least,” Fast said.

“I just hoped that he was OK. I wasn’t worried about him competing or anything at that point. You think of a guy his size falling from any height, there’s bound to be some major damage.”

Doctors told Swick the fracture was stable and he wouldn’t need surgery. He was told it would be eight to 10 weeks of careful recovery time.

“There wasn’t a whole lot to do other than not to do anything,” Swick said.

Fast said Swick was patient, quietly providing leadership as he watched his teammates work during the indoor track season. Throws coach Ellie Sitek took the lead with Swick when he began practicing again in late January.

“He did a really good job of taking the time he needed to take,” Fast said. “We didn’t rush things back. When he did come back, we got him back into things slowly. I think coach Sitek did a good job of bringing him back slowly so he could feel confident in what he was doing.”

Swick threw a personal record of 46-10.25 in the weight throw during the indoor season, and he was thrilled to be back.

“It felt amazing,” Swick said of his return. “I’ve had a  lot of other sports injuries so I’ve missed time during the season and in the off-season. I just hate sitting there watching. It was awesome when I was able to come back and start throwing.”

The relief to be back practicing and competing was immense because one of Swick’s first thoughts when was laying in the snow months earlier was pure terror to a young athlete.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I might not be able to play again,’ ” Swick said. “I was a lot more concerned about letting the team down. I was more worried about that.”

Now that he has returned to the track squad, Swick has other thoughts on his mind. He’s thinking about Lawrence legend Ron Wopat and breaking a few of his records.

“My goal is to have all the school records in shot and disc and hammer so I have a lot of catching up to do,” Swick said.

Fast knows Swick will be motivated this weekend when the team competes in Grinnell, Iowa, and when he returns next season.

“I know he wants to be all-conference in every event he throws in,” Fast said. “He’s aiming for that, and I know he won’t be satisfied with anything less than that.”

Davies takes title at MWC Championships

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Cam Davies grabbed the title in the 3,000 meters on Saturday to pace the Lawrence University track teams at the Midwest Conference Championships at Cornell College.

Davies raced to his first individual conference championship and set a new school record in the process with a time of 8:46.71. Davies broke the record of 8:50.83, set in 2012 by Sam Stevens. Davies finished nearly seven seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ben Taylor of Grinnell College. Lawrence’s Kyle Dockery took sixth in the event with a time of 9:10.26.

JP Ranumas grabbed second place in the 60-meter hurdles, and his time of 8.66 seconds set a new school record. Ranumas broke his own record of 8.67, which was set last season. Illinois College’s John Piper won the event in 8.30 seconds.

The other top finishers for the men were a pair of relay teams. The distance medley relay team of Dan Thoresen, Chris Fuelling, Tyler Herman and Mike Mangian took third in 10:44.32, and the 1,600 relay team of Herman, Ranumas, Mangian and Thoresen was ffith in 3:36.51.

The Lawrence men finished eighth in the team standings with 44 points. The Lawrence women were ninth with 14 points.

The top finisher for the women was the distance medley relay team of Katherine Dannecker, Kate Kilgus, Liza Girsova and Cora Williams, which was fourth in 13:20.90. The 1,600 relay team of Girsova, Kilgus, Katie Barie and Anna Bolgrien took seventh in 4:23.90. Bolgrien had the top individual finish by taking seventh in the 800 in 2:26.37.

Results

Brisbois paces Vikings on opening day of MWC Championships

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Jamie Brisbois ran to a fourth-place finish in the 5,000 meters to lead the Lawrence University track team on Friday’s opening day of the Midwest Conference Championships at Cornell College.

Brisbois covered the 5,000 meters in 15:44.85 and teammate Kyle Dockery grabbed sixth place in 16:02.77. Lawrence’s Dan Thoresen also placed for the Vikings as he took eighth in the mile in 4:37.04.

Lawrence’s sprint medley relay team of Tyler Herman, J.P. Ranumas, Dalton Sendelbach and Chris Fuelling took sixth in 3:43.86. The 800 relay team of Herman, Ranumas, Sendelbach and Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig took eighth in 1:36.76.

Kristen Bischel was the top finisher on the women’s side as she took seventh in the 5,000 in 19:26.75. The sprint medley relay team of Liza Girsova, Anna Bolgrien, Katie Barie and Kate Kilgus grabbed seventh in 4:36.72.

The Lawrence men are in eighth place with 13 points, and the women are ninth with four points.

The meet concludes on Saturday.

Results