Split Squad Continues To Work HardFeb. 14, 2004
KENOSHA - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee track and field team split itself up over the weekend and sent athletes down to familiar Carthage College (Kenosha) to compete in the Pepsi Challenge and also sent athletes to the two-day Iowa State University Cyclone Classic (Aimes, Iowa). Competing Saturday afternoon at the Carthage College Invitational, the split-squad Panthers combined for 15 top-10 finishes during the meet. 11 of the top-10 finishes came from the Panther women while the Panther men added four. Nick Gretz, William McCarthy, Jon Wells and Nick Wichert led the Panther men throughout the competition. Gretz achieved the highest finish for UWM with a second-place finish in the shot put (51'1.50). Gretz also placed sixth in the weight throw (47'11). The UWM men got their next highest finish courtesy of McCarthy and a fifth-place showing in the 55-meter dash (6.83). Wells and Wichert completed the day for the Panther men with Wells finishing seventh in the high jump (5'8.75) and Wichert finishing eighth in the weight throw (46'9.50).
Leading the way for the Panther women was Amber Perri, Stephanie Ray, Jill Naus and Kalin Konop. Perri, competing in the 400-meter run, placed third (1:01.20) in the event and also notched one of the highest finishes for the Panthers. Ray was the other Panther woman to capture a team-best finish of third-place, achieving her finish in the triple jump (35'04.50). Ray also finished ninth in the pole vault (9'6.25). Naus achieved the next best finish for UWM by finishing fifth in the women's 55-meter high hurdles (8.62). Konop added two sixth-place finishes with her performances in the long jump (16'6.50) and triple jump (34'10.25).
Other top-10 finisher for the women came from Marcia Roundtree, Alison Schnelle and Kris Gasser. Roundtree finished seventh in the 200-meter dash (26.98) while Schnelle placed eighth in the high jump (4'9.75) and ninth in the triple jump (34'0.75). Gasser completed the day with a ninth-place finish in the 800-meter run (2:27.99. "We had some good performances today despite the low finishes," Panther head coach Pete Corfeld said. "Nick Gretz became our team leader in the shot put and in the weight throw and is showing he is really starting to grow. Stephanie Ray and Kalin Konop jumped to our best heights of the season in the triple and long jump so there were definitely some positive things that happened. We'll just get ready for the next meet and look to put our team together again." The Panthers will return to action on Saturday, February 21 when they will host the UWM Tune Up meet in Milwaukee. The meet will begin at 11 a.m. and will be hosted at the Klotsche Center. |
