Given the distance UW-Platteville traveled to get to this year's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference track and field championships, it seems appropriate the Pioneer distance performers won three of the school's four individual tiles.
The Pioneers swept the men's and women's mile runs in NCAA III automatic qualifying times to highlight a strong showing up at UW-Superior Friday and Saturday. Marcia Taddy won both the 800 and mile run, while Tyler Sigl won the men's mile and Scott Howard took the pole vault to pace the Pioneers.
The men finished fourth, while the women were sixth behind the four individual titles. UW-La Crosse won both team championships.
"We had a great meet, especially on the men's side," Pioneer Coach Jim Nickasch said. "After the first day, we were in second place, and then finished fourth (with 101.5 points compared to UW-L's 137.5). The top five spots were so close. That's probably the best indoor meet we've ever had with the men."
Taddy, who just regained eligibility after being granted a medical hardship for her year at UW-Madison in 2004, won the 800-meter run in 2:10.35, setting a conference record. She edged teammate Jessica Scott, who earned all-conference honors for her second-place finish in 2:13.28. Taddy also won the mile in 4:53.01, while Emma Dreis was third in 5:08.57.
"Marcia had a great meet, winning the mile and 800," Nickasch said. "She ran real well."
The titles were the 12 indoor or outdoor track conference championships for Taddy, who has now won the last six 800 championships in the WIAC. She automatically qualified for the NCAA III indoor national championships in both the 800 and mile.
Sigl won the mile in 4:10.78, automatically qualifying for the NCAA III indoor national championships. Sigl was also second in the 5,000-meters in a time of 14:44.9, just behind UW-Oshkosh's Willy Kaul at 14:43.7.
"Tyler had a pretty good weekend," Nickasch said. "He came back strong in the mile. He just went after it. He doesn't mess around at all."
Howard became the first Pioneer pole vaulter to win that event since Craig Kohn in 1991, clearing 15-11 to provisionally qualify for the national championships. Jon Balciar was third at 14-11.25.
"That was pretty neat and really kind of spring-boarded us on Friday," Nickasch said.
The men's 4x200 relay (Mitch Spees, Matt Bischoff, Adam Schulte, Cody Egan) earned all-conference honors by placing second in a of 1:31.07, while the distance medley relay team (Cam Klein, Tony Kilburg, Brandon Harms, Kyle Stangel) was runner-up in 10:23.1.
The top two performers in each event are awarded all-conference honors.
Corey Digman earned an all-WIAC award by placing second in the weight throw at 56-1.25 and just missed in the shot put, placing third at 50-10.25.
Finishing third for the men were Tony Kilburg in the 800 in a time of 1:55.6; Ben Zizis in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.78; Brandon Maas in the heptathlon with a school-record 4,539 points; and the 4x400 relay team (Adam Buss, Spees, Schulte, Andy Watters) in 3:24.03.
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