UW-La Crosse Squeaks Past UW-Oshkosh in Closest WIAC Men�s Race Since 1974

     UW-La Crosse set three meet records on the second day of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men�s outdoor track and field championships and needed nearly every point to edge out UW-Oshkosh for its 13th straight team title in the closest competition since 1974.

     The Eagles scored 209.5 team points, while UW-Oshkosh finished second 204 points. It was the closest WIAC men�s race since UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse tied for the 1974 title with 74 points apiece.

     UW-La Crosse�s Andrew Rock won the 200-meter and 400-meter dash titles for the third straight year and eclipsed his own record in the 200 meters with a time of 20.84 seconds. He won the 400 meters in 47.36 seconds and was named the WIAC Track Performer of the Meet.

     Rock was also part of the record-setting 4x400-meter relay team that won in 3:14.13 and clinched the team title after UW-Oshkosh placed sixth in the event. Mike Turgeon had the Eagles� other record on the day with a throw of 54.87 meters in the discus.

     Perhaps the most exciting races of the day were the men�s 1500-meter and 800-meter run battles between UW-Platteville�s Ryan Kleimenhagen and UW-Oshkosh�s Matt Groose. In the 1500, Kleimenhagen dethroned the two-time defending champion Groose and also surpassed Groose�s WIAC record. The runners were even in the final turn before Kleimenhagen pulled away to win with a time of 3:48.90. Groose was second in 3:51.19, however, he got revenge in the 800 by edging Kleimenhagen by less than a second with a meet record time of 1:51.25 for his third career title in the event. Kleimenhagen had a time of 1:51.97.

     UW-La Crosse�s Derek Toshner successfully defended his titles in the hurdle events, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.65 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 51.82 seconds.

     Kevin Deering of UW-Oshkosh won both the decathlon and high jump to earn men�s Field Performer of the meet honors. He had a score of 6,550 points to take the decathlon and won the high jump at 1.97 meters.

     The Titans also received victories from Eamon McKenna in the 5,000-meter run at 14:40.82 and the 4x100-meter relay team in 41.59 seconds.

     UW-La Crosse�s Matt Pagel took the 100-meter dash in 10.84 seconds, edging UW-Stout�s Nate Templer, who was second in both the 100 and 200 events. Herc Hyland of UW-La Crosse claimed the triple jump in 14.41 meters and Andy Paulsen of UW-Platteville won the shot put at 17.87 meters.