Junior Rob Lawson threw an outstanding distance of 145 feet, 10 inches, to win the discus competition at Saturday’s Wisconsin Private College Championships at Ripon College. The throw was a personal best for Lawson which came on the last throw in finals.
“I didn’t realize it was that big until I heard them say the distance, then I was like ‘Oh my God! I might have won this thing,'” Lawson commented. Although it was a personal best, Lawson continues to work hard to improve. “I have another three meters to qualify for nationals provisionally so I will obviously be gunning for that.”
Lawson also finished ninth in the hammer throw to help the team to a seventh place finish overall. Junior Derek Micke contributed with a fourth place finish in the 100m dash and a fifth place finish in long jump.
Senior Greg Haas hurtled his way to a fourth place finish in the 400m hurtles. The Vikings also had two fifth place finishes one by the 4x400m relay and one by senior Mike Pierquet in the hammer throw along with a ninth place finish in shot put.
The Vikings also had some others placing in the top 10 including two sixth place finishes, one in the 400m Dash by senior Russell Geisthardt and another in the pole vault by sophomore Lucas Below. Eighth place finishes were recorded by Freshman Phil Kronenberg in the 10000m run and the Lawrence 4×100 relay. Sophmore Mark Sprtel, freshman Kyle Gauthier, and sophomore Evan Farnum all finished ninth in the 1500m run, high jump and javelin, respectively.
The women’s track team placed seventh at the Private College Championships and was lead by junior Tatiana Bulat who placed a team best of third in the triple jump. She also placed seventh in the 100m hurtles and eighth in the long jump. Bulat and other jumpers had to compete not only with each other but with the wind.
Bulat commented, “For the jumpers, that included me, it was tough to beat the wind blowing at us.” Right on her heals helping the Vikings out was sophomore Tess Jaeger, with a fourth place finish in the high jump and fifth place finish in the 400m hurtles.
The team was helped by a host of 5th place finishes including the 4x400m relay and by freshman Abby Fisher, senior Joy Manweiler, and senior Chelsea Fickbohm who competed in the 5000m run, 10000m run and javelin, respectively. Fickbohm also placed 10th in the 100m dash. Senior Laurel Benson had a sixth place finish in the triple jump. Also in the triple jump, senior Stephanie Kramer placed 10th to go along with another 10th place finish in the hammer throw.
Both the men and women’s teams are in action again at the Ripon Invitational on May 3. Bulat commented, “There are things to improve upon and we look forward to the next meet and of course conference.” The Midwest Conference Championships are closely approaching as well: May 9-10 held at Knox College.
Lawson wins first place
