The Milwaukee Panthers women’s track and field team captured several event titles at the Ashton May Invite in La Crosse, Wis., according to an April 3 announcement from the team. Despite facing heavy rain and cool temperatures, athletes delivered strong performances across multiple events.
The results highlight the team’s ability to compete in both indoor and outdoor competitions throughout their season, as described on the official website. The meet saw notable finishes including Brooke Crosby winning the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.79 seconds, Anna Szepieniec recording a top prelims time of 13.87 seconds in the same event, and Katie Burns taking first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.52 seconds.
Head coach Andrew Basler said, “In less-than-ideal weather conditions, I thought the group that came to La Crosse competed well. They did not let heavy rain and cooler temperatures deter them from giving their best effort.” Basler also commented on individual performances: “On the track, Anna Szepieniec and Brooke Crosby had great races in the 100 hurdles,” he said. He noted strong showings by Rachel Helm and Lauren Ripley in the 800-meter run, while highlighting Burns’s performance: “Katie Burns ran a great 200-meter dash as the temperatures dropped in the upper 30s. She has a great chance to break 24 in the right conditions.”
Other podium finishes included Isabel Roloff (fifth) and Angelica Refinski (sixth) in the finals of the 100-meter dash; Refinski also placed second behind Burns in the 200 meters. In field events, Nevia Levenhagen won long jump with a leap of 5.72 meters while Olivia VanZeeland claimed victory in high jump at 1.71 meters cleared.
Basler praised his athletes’ resilience: “I thought Nevia Levenhagen competed really well considering the conditions,” he said. “She jumped an outdoor best to claim victory.” He added that Emma Johnson performed strongly by finishing third in pole vault at a height ranking sixth all-time for Milwaukee.
The Panthers’ participation continues their tradition within NCAA Division I athletics as part of both indoor and outdoor seasons according to their official website. The program is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin according to its official site, competing as members of both NCAA Division I athletics and Horizon League affiliations.
Looking ahead, Basler concluded: “Next week will be traveling a small group to Duke University, with remainder staying home for Marquette Invitational.” This approach allows student-athletes to balance academic responsibilities alongside athletic commitments as noted by program materials. The team’s ongoing achievements contribute significantly to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s athletic legacy per its official records.
