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WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships � March 2, 2001

UW-Stevens Point, UW-La Crosse Lead Team Standings After First Day

     UW-Stevens Point holds a slim lead in the men's race and UW-La Crosse is in front in the women's standings after the first day of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor track and field championships Friday in Stevens Point.

     The Pointers have 60 team points to lead second place UW-Oshkosh by four points in the men's competition, while UW-La Crosse has 57 points in the women's race. UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh are tied for second in the women's standings with 36 points.

     Pointers' senior Jesse Drake lifted the men's team into first place with a dramatic victory in the 5000 meters, coming from several meters behind on the final lap to catch UW-Whitewater's Jeremy Burks in the last turn and pull out a victory with a time of 14:35.02.

     Cory Lesperance also picked up a big win for UW-Stevens Point with a long jump of 23 feet, two inches. His leap narrowly defeated one of the nation's top jumpers in UW-Oshkosh's Shannon King, who was second in 23 feet, 3/4 inches. Lesperance is just the fourth Pointer to win the WIAC long jump title in the 30-year history of the event.

     King did survive UW-Stevens Point's Mike Mead in the high jump as both jumpers had the exact same height of 6 feet, 9 inches, but King made his last jump to earn the victory. King had won the 1999 WIAC title, while Mead was the defending champion.

     UW-Oshkosh set a WIAC record in the men's distance medley relay with a time of 10:03.95, bettering its own record from last season. Tim Amman of UW-La Crosse surprised teammate Jim Nelson in the shot put with a throw of 54 feet, 4 3/4 inches after Nelson entered the meet with the best throw in Division III this season.

     UW-La Crosse's Ellen Findlay shattered the WIAC pole vault record to highlight the Eagles' first place day. Findlay had a vault of 11 feet, 10 inches, which was nearly a foot better than any other competitor and the previous WIAC record.

     UW-Stevens Point had two winners on the women's side as Jenny Todd captured the long jump with a jump of 18 feet, 4 1/4 inches and Becky Lebak cruised to win in the 5000 meters with a time of 17.33.92. Lebak lapped all 24 of the other competitors and won by 43 seconds. Todd is the first Pointer woman ever to win the indoor long jump crown.

     UW-Whitewater's Tabitha Fendrick defended her shot put title from last season with a heave of 43 feet, 4 1/4 inches. UW-Eau Claire claimed the women's distance medley relay with a time of 12:19.98.