Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee Panthers track and field team is set to compete at the 2024 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The event will be hosted by Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, from May 3 to May 5. The competition begins with the Decathlon and Heptathlon events on Friday at noon, alongside men's and women's discus and javelin events, preliminary heats for the 1500m races, and championship heats for the 10,000m races.

This championship marks the last team competition of the season for Milwaukee. Athletes who qualify will advance to the NCAA West Preliminary rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas later this month.

In their recent outings, Milwaukee athletes showcased strong performances. At the Drake Alternative meet on April 25, Anna Szepieniec won the long jump with a distance of 5.94 meters. Evan Bartelsen secured first place in pole vaulting with a height of 5 meters, while Finnegan Shields took second place in shot put with a throw of 15.91 meters.

During the Clark Wood Invitational held on April 26-27, four new program records were set by Milwaukee athletes. Natalie Block set records in both the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. Golden Cotton broke his own record twice in one day for the 100m sprint. Anthony Campbell achieved a new record in long jump with a leap of 7.77 meters.

Block's performance earned her recognition as Horizon League Women's Runner of the Week multiple times throughout April, while Cotton was named Men's Runner of the Week on April 30.

Milwaukee's teams have been recognized as top contenders following their indoor season success; they are expected to finish first among women and second among men according to preseason polls.