Panthers compete in final meets before MCC Championships.

April 22, 1999

MILWAUKEE - Members of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's and women's track and field teams travel this weekend to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Boilermaker Open in Layfette, Ind. One of the nations oldest and most prestigious track and field events, the Drake Relays-which began in a snowstorm in 1910 and is now in its ninth decade-will hold its 1999 campaign on April 23-24 in the 18,000 seat Drake Stadium.

Drake Relays officials expect 8,651 athletes, representing 751 teams, to participate in the 90th running of the Drake Relays Friday and Saturday. Fifty-six universities are sending 826 competitors in the men's division, while 794 athletes from 69 schools will compete in the men's college division. Iowa State will be sending the largest number of competitors, with 42 making the trip from Ames. In the women's university division, 716 athletes from 57 universities will be competing, while the women's college division has 458 athletes from 62 schools. Southern Illinois is sending the largest squad, with 31 representatives.

Traveling to the Drake Relays from the Panther squad this weekend will be Emily Hauer and Nate Knudson, who will both compete in the 10,000m, and Kevin Kriegel, who will compete in the 3,000m steeplechase.

For the second time this season, the Panthers will send a group of athletes to Purdue University-this time for the Boilermaker Open on April 23-24. The meet will be held in Layfette, Ind., at the Rankin Track and Field. Liz Pesch and Matt Finger will try to keep their winning ways going this weekend in the 800m after both finished first last weekend at the Marquette Invitational in that event.

Both events are the teams last meet before traveling to the MCC Championships on May 2, hosted by Butler University.

Panthers Turn in Five First-Place Finishes at Marquette Invitational

Last weekend the Panthers traveled across town to compete in the Marquette Invitational where they turned in a total of five first-place finishes.

Leading the way for the men was Matt Finger (Menomonee Falls, Wis.-Menomonee Falls), who finished first in the 800m with a personal best of 1:53.19, and Scott Banaszak (Crivitz, Wis.-Crivitz) who finished second in the javelin with a distance of 46.61m.

On the womens side, Liz Pesch (Brownsville, Wis.-St. Marys) finished first in the 800m with a personal best of 2:18.10, and Julie Metrish (West Bend, Wis.-East) finished first in the javelin with a distance of 33.28m. The women also finished first in the 4x100m relay (49.58) and the 4x400m relay (4:10.89).