Milwaukee City Wire

The Milwaukee track and field team showcased strong performances at the Drake Alternative event in Whitewater, achieving several personal bests and placing three athletes among the top ten on Milwaukee's all-time lists.

Anna Szepieniec excelled in the long jump with a leap of 5.94 meters (19'6"), securing third place on Milwaukee's all-time list. Nadia Vo also performed well, finishing third with a jump of 5.38 meters (17'8"). "A big highlight on the women's side was Anna Szepieniec in the long jump," said head coach Andrew Basler. He noted her consistent improvement and potential to reach the 20-foot mark soon.

Evan Bartelsen matched Szepieniec's success by winning the pole vault with a height of 5.00 meters (16'4.75"), advancing to third on the all-time list. "On the men's side, Evan Bartelsen joined the five-meter club in the pole vault," Basler added, acknowledging Bartelsen's near-record attempt and growing confidence for upcoming competitions.

Finnegan Shields achieved Milwaukee outdoor history's tenth farthest shot put throw at 15.91 meters (52'2.5"), earning second place. Sara Jochims claimed victory in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 11:57.01.

In other events, Alexandria Simmons secured second place in high jump at 1.57 meters (5'1.75"), while Isabel Roloff took second in pole vault, clearing 3.56 meters (11'8"). Aubrie Gorski finished second in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.09 seconds, and Eileen Tocco placed second in the 800m at 2:21.27.

Jack Misky and Jeremiah Johnson earned second and third places respectively in discus, with throws of 49.15 meters (161'3") and 47.52 meters (155'11"). Olivia Busch completed a third-place finish in triple jump at 11.23 meters (36'10.25").

"Whitewater made the decision to move their meet up a day to avoid poor weather, and we took full advantage of it," Basler commented on the day's successes, highlighting numerous personal bests across various events.

The Panthers will continue their season at the Clark Wood Invitational before preparing for conference championships scheduled for May 3-5 in Rochester, Michigan.