The UW Oshkosh men’s and women’s track and field teams commenced the 2019 outdoor track season last Thursday at the Carroll University Invitational in Waukesha.

The men’s team took home first place while the women’s team placed third at the event.

The women’s team had six first-place finishers at the Carroll Invitational. UWO senior Lauren Wrensch took home first place in the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 12.56 and first place in the long jump with a measurement of 19-4. Wrensch made last month’s indoor national championships in the long jump, 200-meter dash and the 400-meter run.

Wrensch said the transition from indoor to outdoor brings pros and cons.

“Indoor, you don’t have to deal with any weather issues, but since the track is smaller, the tight turns are harder on your body,” Wrensch said. “Outdoor wind is definitely a factor, sometimes good sometimes bad, but it’s nice because the track is larger, so it allows me to open up more in my running, which creates faster times.”

Junior Taylor Pralle earned first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.63 seconds. Pralle also placed third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.87.

Junior Hannah Lohrenz ran a 4:53.49 in the 1,500-meter run to bring home first place. Teammates Breanna Van Den Plas and Melissa Srnka finished fifth and seventh with times of 5:03.47 and 5:11.91 respectively.

Junior Ashton Keene was the lone point scorer in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 40:12.34.

In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Amanda Van Den Plas bagged a first-place finish at 11:42.44 minutes. Van Den Plas competed at last month’s indoor national championship in the 1,500-meter run.

Van Den Plas said she procured trust in herself over the course of the indoor season, and she will try to propel herself forward in the outdoor season.

“I plan to use my indoor season and build to my outdoor season by using the confidence I have gained to better myself and the team,” Van Den Plas said. “I plan to attack every workout as strong as I did during indoor and continue to set goals.”

Notables from the women’s team: sophomore Sadie Huth finished second and third in the 100-meter hurdles and in the long jump with a time of 16:07 seconds and a measurement of 17-3.50, respectively.

Junior Morgan Endries placed fourth and eighth in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash with times of 13.06 and 27.36, respectively.

In the women’s discus throw, sophomore Allie Marineau and freshman Elise Deaver finished fourth and fifth with throws of 37.80 meters and 37.66 meters, respectively.

On the men’s side, the Titans had nine first-place finishers at the Carroll University Invitational, including Robert Obguli, Benny Jung, Steven Potter, Andrew Muskevitsch, Abel Christiansen, Andrew George, Joe Vils, Jonathan Wilburn and Nick Tegtmeier.

Ogbuli and Jung placed first and second in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. In the 100-meter dash, Ogbuli took first while Jung placed second with times of 10.74 and 10.82. In the 200-meter dash, Jung took first as Ogbuli landed in second with times of 21.92 and 22.08, respectively.

Ogbuli said his goal for the season individually is to set a personal record in the 100- and 200-meter dash events.

“I want to go 10.5 in the 100, qualify for nationals,” Ogbuli said. “I wasn’t able to break 11 [seconds] last year. Coming into the first meet that’s something I wanted to do. Running the 10.74 really boosted my confidence because last year I wasn’t even a top guy on the team. Being one of the top guys is really special to me. In the 200, I want to get down to a mid-21-[second] time and qualify for nationals.”

Potter outpaced teammate Justin Skinkis in the 800-meter run to take first place with a time of 1:55.27. Skinkis took second at 1:55.73.

Led by Muskevitsch, the Titans took three of the top four spots in the 10,000-meter run. Muskevitsch finished first at 33:20.22, freshman Noah Bruehl followed in second with a time of 34:02.74 and junior Henry Laste finished in fourth at 35:59.26.

Christiansen took first in the 110-meter hurdles with 15.07 seconds. Fellow Titan Kunmi Olatunde finished in third at 16.32 seconds.
George took first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, recording a time of 9:41.94.

In the men’s pole vault, UWO took the top three spots. Vils took first with a measurement of 16-00.75 meters. Junior Zach Emmer and freshman Cade Ellenbecker finished second and third with heights of 14-05.25 and 13-05.25.

Wilburn continued his success from the indoor season by winning the triple jump with a measurement of 47-09.00. Teammate Jared Ollhoff finished third at 42-07.50 meters.

In men’s shot put, UWO claimed the first and second spots. Tegtmeier finished first with a throw of 49-06.50 as freshman Jackson Sheckler placed second at 49-2.25.