UW-Platteville's Jessica Scott won the 800-meter run and anchored the Pioneers' victorious Distance Medley Relay Team, highlighting UWP's efforts at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.

Scott won the 800 in 2:12.55, a full three seconds ahead of the nearest competitor, Sunday in the second day of the championships held in Menomonie. Scott set a new UW-Stout facility record with her time.

Saturday night, the team of Gina Smith, Shea Bierman, Ann Tank and Scott won the DMR in 12:10.3. Although the Pioneers have won the last two NCAA III titles in the event, Saturday's win was the first-ever conference crown for UWP.

Overall, the Pioneers finished sixth in both team competitions. The UW-La Crosse men won their eighth consecutive title, and the Eagle women won their third straight.

Scott (Kiel), one of the lone seniors on the team, sophomores Smith (East Troy) and Bierman (Lancaster) and the freshman Tank (Dodgeville) earned first-team all-WIAC honors.

Jason Garvens (far left) and Nathan Petesch compete in the WIAC meet (courtesy UWS)

Corey Digman and the and two female relay team earned second-team all-conference honors by finishing runners-up in their events. Digman (Sr., Platteville) took second in the weight throw, improving on his NCAA III provisional qualifying mark with a heave of 59-3.5.

Liz Baker (Jr., Richland Center), Cassie Schneider (So., Boscobel), Taylor Fry (So., Richland Center) and Alison Glendenning (Sr., German Valley, IL/Foreston) were second in the 4x200 with a time of 1:46.45. Baker, Deidre Dillman (Fr., Prairie du Chien), Glendenning and Scott were second in the 4x400 in 4:00.6, missing the NCAA provisional mark by six-tenths of a second.

Scott also earned the Judy Kruckman co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award as well as the Larry Zirgibel WIAC Sportmanship Award. Mitch Spees (Sr., Poynette) earned a men's Larry zirgibel WIAC Sportsmanship Award.

Placing third for Coach Jim Nickasch's Pioneers were Jon Balciar (Jr., Medford) in the pole vault and Jason Garvens (So, Byron, MN) in the 5,000. Balciar cleared 15-3.75 in the vault, and Garvens finished just ahead of teammate Nate Petesch (So., Bellevue, IA/Marquette) in the 5,000. Garvens completed the 5K race in 15:00.77, while Petesch was fourth in 15:03.13. Petesch also was fourth in the 3,000 in 8:41.86. Andrew Melby (Fr., Phillips) finished fourth in the 55 hurdles in 7.83, while Tank was fourth in the mile run in 5:15.4.

Related Links

WIAC Championships site