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RIPON, Wis. – Beloit hosts the 91st annual Midwest Conference Track and Field Championships at the newly constructed track at Strong Stadium on the campus of Beloit College. The ten track and field sponsoring institutions will compete for team and individual championships which start Friday, May 10 and run through Saturday, May 11. 

Monmouth returns after winning the 2012 championships and competes for the sweep for the eighth consecutive season. The events will kick off on Friday at 12:30 a.m. with the field events and will start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. A total of 20 gold medals will be given out on both the men’s and women’s side with athletes also competing for a chance to participate at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Beloit aims to move up in the standings after a ninth place finish on the men’s side and an eighth place finish on the women’s side in 2012. The Bucs host this year’s event and on the men’s team they are equipped with some strong talent in both the track and field events. On the track side Joseph Skurski ranked sixth in the conference in the 10k (33:48.72) while also ranking in the top-20 in the 5k (16:27.94). Matt Kreiser has a top ten time in the 400 hurdles (58.71) while Matt McKay contends in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:28.88) with a top ten time. Darth Winkler (discus, second) and Mateo Lauersdorf (javelin, seventh) both have top ten marks in the field events to strengthen the Beloit men’s lineup. Felicia Carlson headlines the women’s team with a top five time in both the 100 and 200 dash while teammate Karen Jones holds a pair of top ten times in the 5k (ninth, 19:19.33) and 3,000 steeplechase (sixth, 12:00.71). Erika Moen leads the field events with the fifth best mark in the discus (125’03.50”) and the eighth best hammer throw (126’03”).

Last season Carroll knocked on the door of its first men’s championship since 2000 and first women’s since 2004 with a pair of third place finishes as they return three champions from 2012 in four different events. Andrew Nottling won the high jump in 2012 and is in contention this year with the second best jump of 6’06.75” while Nicholas Lange ranked fifth in the league in the long jump with a mark of 22’00.50”. Cooper Witt searches for a championship in both the 100 and 200 dashes where he holds the top mark in the 200 (21.68) and finished runner-up in the 100 (10.97). Megan O’Grady was a champion of two events last season (5k, 10k) and finished the regular season with the top times in the conference. In the 5k she ran a 17:15.67 which is almost a full minute faster than the second fastest time while holding over a two minute advantage in the 10k (36:11.32). Lindsey Thomas had a top three mark in the discus (136’08.50”) and a seventh place hammer throw (129’11.75”) while Jessica Wiegert defends her 2012 championship in the pole vault with the second best vault this season (11’03.75”).

Cornell competes in its first track championship since the 1997 season with its last championship coming in 1989 (men) and 1981 (women) after finishing eighth (men) and ninth (women) in the nine team Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Brennan Stine holds the highest ranking with the third-best 400 dash time (49.50) with Preston Richie challenging in both the 100 (seventh, 11.21) and 200 dash (12th, 22.61). Parker Kenyon leads the field participants in the discus throw as he ranked fourth in the league during the regular season with a toss of 140’00.75”. Leslie Smebak has three top five times in the 800 (fifth, 2:23.64), 1,500 (third, 4:51.13), and 5,000 (fourth, 18:15.31). Sanjuanita Martinez ran the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:57.15 which was good for fifth in the league with Madison Acree headline the field athletes with the fourth best shot put toss in the league (41’01.25”).

Grinnell finished in the middle of the pack last season with a pair of fifth place finishes and aims to earn a men’s championship for the first time since 1994 and a women’s title for time since 1985. On the men’s side Nate Kolacia headlines the mid-distance runners with the third best time in the 800 run (1:55.45) while earning a seventh and fifth place ranking in the 1,500 run (4:08.08) and  3,000 steeplechase (10:06.64), respectively. Frank Canady was the 2012 MWC Cross Country champion and contends in the 10k in the outdoor season with the second fastest time of 31:24.40. The Pioneer women are led by 2012 400 dash champion Christine Ajinjeru who enters the championship with the second best time in the event (58.25). Isabelle Miller is ranked third in the 400 hurdles (1:05.92) while Eloise Miller posted the second best triple jump (36’06.25”) and sixth best long jump (17’05.75”) to contend in the field events.

Illinois Col. is competing for the school’s first ever championship and does so after seventh (men) and fourth (women) place finishes in 2012. Brendan Kimble is at the top of the charts in both of the hurdle events with the conference’s fourth fastest 110 time (15.72) and third fastest 400 time (57.57). Brian Johnson had top performances in both the track and field events with the third best long jump (22’07.75) and the fifth fastest time in the 100 dash (11.08). Ryan Jefferson led all javelin throwers with a mark of 165’08.50” with field teammate Chandler Polyte finishing second in the regular season in the pole vault (14’05.50”). Missy Norville leads the charge on the women’s side as she holds top marks in the league in five different events including the 100 dash, 200 dash, 100 hurdles, long jump, and triple jump. Her performances in both the long jump (20’04.25”) and triple jump (41’11.50”) are best in the nation and she defends MWC titles in the 200 dash, 100 hurdles, long jump, and triple jump. Ofuma Eze-Echesi compliments Norville as she ranked second in the 200 dash (25.70) and third in the 400 dash (59.06) while Brittney Burgess led the league in the javelin throw with a toss of 146’11.75”.

Knox hopes to move up in the standings after eighth (men) and ninth (women) place finishes a year ago. Joe Puntoriero holds top ten times in both the 100 (fourth, 11.06) and 200 (ninth, 22.41) dashes and is joined by Sean Choate in the 10k where he ranked third in the league with a time of 32:16.19. Weston Chenoweth competes for a title in both the shot put (seventh, 43’10.25”) and discus (sixth, 139’09.25”) while Jonas Mack posted the second best javelin throw with a toss of 159’07.25”. On the women’s side Lizzy Warner has a pair of top-15 performances in the 400 (14th, 1:03.44) and 800 dashes (13th, 2:29.51) while Danielle Erikson is 11th in the league in the javelin (87’06”). Yetunde Durotoye leads the Prairie Fire in the sprint races with the top team times in the 100 and 200 dashes.

Lawrence returns a champion on both the men’s and women’s team and hopes to move up from sixth (men’s) and seventh (women’s) place finishes in 2012 for the school’s first championship on the women’s side and third men’s title. Sam Stevens won a championship in the 1,500 run last year and finished this season third in the MWC with a time of 4:05.79 while holding the top mark in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:28.57) and a second-ranked time in the 5,000 run (15:14). JP Ranumas enters the championships third in the 110 hurdles (15.63) while Spencer Swick had a top-five effort in the shot put (45’06”). Anna Bolgrien is the returning champion on the women’s team after winning gold in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:05.60, and she is second this year among conference participants with a time of 1:05.75. Sofie Yang challenges in the 100 (seventh, 16.51) and 400 hurdles (fifth, 1:08.43) while Rose Tepper had a top-five jump in the high jump (fourth, 5’03”).

Monmouth has swept the track championships in each of the last eight seasons and returns a talented lineup that boasts six returning athletes who won seven championships plus a pair of relay titles. On the men’s side Kiante Green defends his 100 dash championship and finished with the top time in the conference (10.88) while also posting a runner up time in the 200 dash (22.09). Jake Barr won both the 5k and 10k last season and was in the top three in both events (first in 10k) this season with Eric Brown defending a title in the 400 dash where he ranked fourth this season (49.74). Karston Anderson notched the fourth best triple jump (44’08.75”) after winning the event last season and also holds the top time in the 110 hurdles (15.28). Other top performers this year that include Raimius Foulkes (400), Paul Davies (5,000), Kyle Mengarelli (triple jump), James Wilson (long jump), 4x100 relay team, and 4x400 relay team. On the women’s side they return two champions that include Baily Jackson (100) and Kayla Corzine (shot put). Jackson enters the championships with the tenth ranked time in the 100 dash (12.89) while Corzine checks in at third in the shot put (42’00.75”). Rachel Bowden has the top times in both the 800 (2:15.52) and 1,500 (4:45.72) with Raven Robinson holding top marks in the discus (141’08”) and the shot put (46’). Other performers that top the MWC charts are Lacey Hainline (400), Allison Devor (hammer throw), Morgan Ryan (pole vault), and the 4x100 relay team.

Ripon tallied a fourth (men) and sixth (women) place finish at the 2012 championships and enter this seasons trying to win the school’s first championship. Cory Zimmerman competes to repeat in the 800 run where he led the league this season with a time of 1:50.86. Adam Sellner also won gold in the hammer throw where he topped all other MWC performers with a mark of 190’10.25” while Zach Beek leads all shot putters with a toss of 49’11.25”. Matt Wood contends in both the 200 and 400 dashes after earning top ten times in both events during the regular season. Jenna Breaker was the lone champion from 2012 on the women’s side with a title in the high jump and entering the championships she ranked in a tie for the top spot in the league with a jump of 5’05.75”. Breaker is joined by Michelle Matter who posted top five times in each of the 1,500 (fourth, 4:51.52), 5k (second, 18:14.75), and 10k (third, 38:44.47) with Lexie Schaffer holding the fifth fastest 200 dash time (25.93).

St. Norbert was knocking on the door last season with a pair of runner up finishes and aims to snap the Fighting Scots championship streak. Mike Verfuerth was a champion in 2012 in the long jump and enters this year’s championships with a jump of 22’05” (fifth). Randy Hill tops the charts in the high jump (6’06.75”) and is second in the long jump (22’09.25”) while Kenny Oxendorf (discus, 143’06.50”) and Jack Feuerstein (400 hurdles, 56.54) both lead their respective events. Benny Swift had the second best time in both the 800 (1:55.12) and 1,500 (4:05.29) to round out a strong men’s lineup. The St. Norbert women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams both won gold medals last season as the only women’s champions from a year ago. Nicole Vanderlin co-leads the conference in the high jump (5’05.75”) while fellow field participant Kalee Luedtke is fourth in the long jump (17’05.75”). Liz LeCaptain finished fourth in the league this year in the 100 dash (12.55) while Erin McShea had a pair of top five times in the 400 dash (fifth, 59.96) and the 800 run (second, 2:16.76). 

For information on the 2013 MWC Outdoor Track Championships go to the [championship page]. To order 2013 MWC Outdoor Track Championships apperal please go to the [MWC Online Store]