Outdoor Track and Field

Category: Outdoor Track and Field

Matt top finisher for Vikings on opening day of MWC Championships

RIPON, Wis. — Genna Matt posted the top finish for the Lawrence University track teams on Friday’s opening day of the Midwest Conference Championships at Ingalls Field.

Matt grabbed fifth place in the hammer throw with a toss of 145 feet, 1 inch. Lawrence’s other points came from Sage Greenlee, who tied for eighth in the high jump at 5-0.5. The Lawrence women are in ninth place with 4.33 points.

On the men’s side, Cam Davies was the top finisher as he placed sixth in the 1,500 meters in 4:08.63. The Lawrence men are in ninth place with three points.

Results

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings look to move up at MWC Championships

APPLETON, Wis. — The old expression says Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same is true for the Lawrence University track teams.

The Vikings and head coach Jason Fast have no allusions about this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships at Ripon College’s Ingalls Field. The Vikings will not be title contenders, but that doesn’t mean Lawrence is not gunning for some hardware to take home.

“For the most part, we are swinging up. People are ready to go and feeling good about the conference championships,” Fast said. “Both teams have a chance to be in the top seven, top eight in the conference.

“We have a lot of people who are right on the border of scoring points. They are sitting in ninth through 13th in the conference. They are close to sneaking in there and scoring some points, and that would make a big difference for us.”

A few of those athletes finishing in the points could help Lawrence move up in the standings after the men took seventh and the women finished ninth in 2014.

“I’m proud of our teams this year,” Fast said. “We’ve overcome a lot of injuries and a lot of setbacks to bring things together. We’ve become a closer team and it’s been a lot of fun.”

One of Vikings aiming for a league title is junior Cam Davies, who has the fastest time in the league in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Davies was named the MWC Track Performer of the Week after running a 9:38.90 at the Hillsdale College Gina Relays last month.

“It’s been his goal since the indoor season to win the steeplechase,” Fast said of Davies, who took fourth in the event as a freshman in 2013. “It’s something he’s trained for and put himself in a good position to do.”

Davies will face stiff competition from Grinnell’s Anthony McLean and St. Norbert’s Hayden Hoffmann. Fast said strategic thinking plays a key role in winning the steeplechase.

“You have to constantly be able to refocus, and you have to be able to think on your feet for an extended period of time,” Fast said. “You need to constantly be able to process a lot of things while also staying competitive.”

Appleton native Max Edwards is shooting for a difficult double this weekend as he will run the 10,000 meters on Friday and then take a shot at the 5,000 on Saturday.

“Max is going to be doing the 10k for the first time, but I think he will have a shot to win,” Fast said. “It’s really hard, but most of the people he’s competing against are going to be doing a similar double. There’s no one who’s going to be in contention who is just running the 5k. I would be surprised if that were the case.”

Edwards’ time of 15:36.38 ranks second in the league in the 5,000, and he brings the credentials of being one of the league’s top cross country runners as well. Fast said how Edwards spends his time between the races is critical.

“I think it’s a matter of taking it one race at a time and taking the extra time in the recovery process,” Fast said. “It’s not only having a focused plan in your races but between your races.”

On the women’s side, Lawrence has record-breaking thrower Genna Matt. Matt has broken her own record in the hammer throw twice this season, the last time being this past Saturday’s Lawrence Invitational when she recorded a throw of 145 feet, 4 inches.

“Genna’s just been lights out in the hammer ring for the last two weeks in a row,” Fast said. “It seems like she’s in a really good rhythm right now. She sets aggressive goals for herself and she’s not intimidated by those things.”

Senior Anna Bolgrien has her sights set on a top finish in the 400 hurdles. The 2012 champion in the event, Bolgrien ranks fifth in the league with a time of 1:07.93.

 

“Anna’s had a couple of setbacks in the way of injuries, but these last few weeks she has looked really strong and has been competing well,” Fast said. “She’s a great competitor and is really good at sizing up her competition and performing her best.”

Vikings take five first places at Lawrence Invitational

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University track team took home five first-place finishes at the Lawrence Invitational at Whiting Field on Saturday.

On the men’s side, Cam Davies, Peter Rantis and Cole Erickson all grabbed first-place finishes. Davies ran to the top spot on the 1,500 meters in 4:09.58. Rantis was first in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:28.30. Erickson grabbed first in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet. 2.5 inches.

Both Clare Bruning and Kendra Thomas took home firsts on the women’s side. Bruning ran to first in the 5,000 in 19:19.86, and Thomas raced to the top spot in the 100 meters in 13.36 seconds.

St. Norbert College finished first on the women’s side with 253 points. Lawrence was second with 125, and Ripon College took third with 121.

St. Norbert also took home the men’s title with 221 points. Ripon was second with 133, and Lawrence took third with 130.

Results

Davies races to Performer of the Week award

Cam Davies
Cam Davies

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University track and field standout Cam Davies has been named the Midwest Conference Track Performer of the Week.

Davies (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South) won the honor in the wake of turning in the Midwest Conference’s fastest time of the season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Hillsdale College Gina Relays.

Davies finished 23rd in the event against an elite field of Division I, II and III runners in a time of 9:38.90. That is the fastest time in the conference by nearly 13 seconds.

This is the first weekly honor for the Vikings during the outdoor season. Freshman Ethan Gniot (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) was chosen during the indoor season.

Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it hosts the Lawrence Invitational at Whiting Field.

Bruning, relay teams pace Vikings at Drake Alternative

WHITEWATER, Wis. — Clare Bruning and the Lawrence relay teams paced the Vikings on Sunday at the Drake Alternative Meet at UW-Whitewater.

Bruning took second in the 5,000 meters in 18:53.71, trailing only former national champion Christy Cazzola. Margaret Huck finished fourth in the event for Lawrence at 19:31.75.

The Vikings also had a strong showing in the 800 meters as Kate Kilgus grabbed third place in 2:27.23 and Noelle Hele took fifth in 2:33.24.

The women’s 400 relay team took second in 55.75 seconds, and the 1,600 relay team was second in 4:25.45.

On the men’s side, Lawrence’s 1,600 relay finished first in 3:40.23, and the 400 relay team was second in 47.15 seconds.

The top individual finisher was Ethan Gniot, who raced to fourth in the 800 in 1:59.91.

Results

Davies runs fastest league time in steeplechase at Hillsdale

HILLSDALE, Mich. — Junior Cam Davies turned in the Midwest Conference’s fastest time of the season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Hillsdale College Gina Relays.

Davies finished 23rd in the event against an elite field of Division I, II and III runners in a time of 9:38.90. That is the fastest time in the conference by nearly 13 seconds.

Max Edwards and Erin Schrobilgen also ran for the Vikings. Edwards placed 45th in the men’s 5,000 meters in 15:36.38. Schrobilgen placed 49th in the women’s 5,000 in 19:16.29.

Results

Trio of second-place finishes pace Vikings at St. Norbert Invitational

DE PERE, Wis. — Anna Bolgrien, Erin Schrobilgen and Cam Davies all grabbed second-place finishes on Saturday to lead the Lawrence University track team at the St. Norbert Invitational.

Bolgrien took second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:07.93, and Schrobilgen led Lawrence’s strong contingent in the 5,000 meters. Schrobilgen took second in 19:28.02 and was followed by Clare Bruning in third, Margaret Huck in fourth and Kristen Bischel in fifth.

Lawrence also had a pair of top finishers in the 1,500, as Kate Kilgus took third in 5:19.43 and Noelle Hele was fourth in 5:21.24.

Genna Matt broke her own school record in the hammer throw with a toss of 140 feet, 10 inches. She set the previous mark of 135-5 at the 2014 Midwest Conference Championships.

The Lawrence women placed sixth in the team standings with 61.5 points.

Davies led the Lawrence men as he grabbed second in the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:53.32. Max Edwards raced to third place in the 5,000 in 16:08.95.

The Lawrence men were seventh with 47 points.

Results

Schrobilgen, Erickson pace Vikings at Wisconsin Lutheran

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Erin Schrobilgen won the steeplechase and Cole Erickson placed in the top three in two events to lead the Lawrence University track teams at the Wisconsin Lutheran Warrior Invitational.

Schrobilgen won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 12:30.40 to lead the Lawrence women. Kate Kilgus grabbed second in the 800 meters in 2:28.15, and Genna Matt placed second in the hammer throw with a toss of 121 feet, 9 inches.

The Lawrence women placed fourth in the team standings with 74 points.

Erickson grabbed third in the javelin with a throw of 129-4 and took third in the high jump with a leap of 5-3. Ethan Gniot raced to second in the 800 meters in a time of 1:58.29, and Cam Davies grabbed second in the steeplechase in 10:02.86.

The Lawrence men took fifth in the team standings with 76.5 points.

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.