The Milwaukee Panthers women’s track and field team competed in the season’s first heptathlon at the Duke Invitational, held at Morris Williams Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on April 9. Anna Szepieniec and Kallie Volk represented the Panthers in the event.
This early-season competition is important as it gives athletes a chance to measure their progress and identify areas for improvement. The Panthers are part of NCAA Division I athletics and compete both indoors and outdoors throughout the year, according to the official website.
Head coach Andrew Basler said, “The season’s first heptathlon is always unique because each athlete is going to have events that go well, and other events that fall a little short. I feel that was the case for Anna and Kallie this weekend.” Basler also commented on their performances: “On day one, Anna started off strong with the hurdles, and then finished strong with the 200-meter. Her high jump was a good step forward from last weekend at La Crosse. In shot put, she struggled to connect on some technique we have been working on. Kallie, on the other hand, started off strong with her first two events on day 1, the hurdles and high jump. Then, shot put and the 200 were a little off of what we were hoping for.”
Szepieniec scored 5205 points—just shy of her career best—and placed first in both long jump (6.07 meters) and 100-meter hurdles (13.86 seconds). She also earned top-five finishes in other events including fourth place in the 200-meter dash and fifth place in the 800-meter run.
Basler said about day two: “Day two started off well in the long jump… Anna had an outdoor PR to win that event. Kallie got a solid mark in on her second attempt. Javelin was a bit of a struggle for both of them as we have not had the opportunity to get outside and throw… In the 800-meter, Anna had a breakthrough performance… Kallie was set up for the same plan but got boxed in early…”
Volk accumulated 4827 points overall with notable performances such as third place in high jump (1.66 meters), seventh place finish in long jump (5.50 meters), eighth place finish in javelin (32.92 meters), and tenth place finish in 800-meter run (2:28.20).
The Panthers bolster athletic legacy at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by competing as members of Horizon League according to their official website. The program supports student-athletes’ academic responsibilities alongside athletics as noted by university sources.
Looking ahead, select Milwaukee athletes will continue competing at Duke while others will participate locally at Marquette Invitational later this week.
