The Milwaukee women’s track and field team moved into first place with 52 points on May 9 during the second day of the Horizon League Outdoor Championships at Elaine Leigh Track & Field Complex, hosted by Oakland. Robert Morris stands in second with 46 points, while Purdue Fort Wayne is third with 44 points.
The event is significant as it positions Milwaukee strongly ahead of the final day of competition, highlighting both individual and team performances that could impact the overall standings in the league. The team participates in both indoor and outdoor competitions throughout the season and competes in NCAA Division I athletics as part of the Horizon League, according to the official website.
Head coach Andrew Basler said, “The team showed a lot of resiliency today in some windy conditions. We had a 90-minute weather delay, but I thought our team was mentally prepared to not let it derail their focus.” Nevia Levenhagen led Milwaukee by winning the long jump with an outdoor personal-best leap of 6.12 meters, ranking third all-time for Milwaukee in that event. Anna Szepieniec finished second with a jump of 6.09 meters and Kallie Volk took fourth place with a personal best.
Szepieniec also finished runner-up in the heptathlon after strong performances across multiple events. In addition to Levenhagen’s victory, several athletes advanced to finals or posted personal bests: Victoria Spagnola qualified for two hurdle finals; Adaline Powell led shot put efforts; Katie Burns secured spots in both sprint finals; and Rylan Oberg recorded a personal best in steeplechase.
Basler added, “As we head into Championship Sunday, both the men and women are fighting for hardware. We got a lot of Panthers through to the finals in the running events, which is what you need to put points on the board on Sunday. I’m excited to watch this group leave it all out there.” The Panthers’ participation contributes to athletic legacy at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee while supporting student-athletes’ academic responsibilities as well as their athletic duties according to the official website.
Looking ahead, Milwaukee prepares for Championship Sunday where final placements will be determined starting at 9:00 a.m., continuing their efforts representing Milwaukee, Wisconsin according to their official website.
