The Lawrence University Track and Field team competed last weekend at University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point at the Pointer Invite. The team faced stiff competition in four very talented UW schools along with Edgewood, Lakeland, and the Milwaukee Track Club. The men and women both finished fifth as a team, falling to all four UW teams, but ahead of the other competitors.
Going into the meet, the Vikings relished the opportunity to test themselves against some traditionally very talented teams. “We wanted to compete against guys that generally compete at a higher degree than we do,” said senior Chris Fuelling. “It gave us a chance to push ourselves to better times.” As the indoor track season nears its end, these season times become all the more important for seeding for the conference championships.
The Lady Vikes fared well in this difficult field. Freshman Sierra Polzin sits on top of the highlights with her first place victory in the 800-meter dash with a time of 2:29. Polzin was closely followed by freshman Sammi Nixon in fourth at 2:33, indicating a very dense front of the pack. Senior Clare Bruning also continued her hot streak with a victory in the five kilometer race with a time of 19:41. Senior Liz Landes followed in second at 20:45. Sophomore Erin Schrobilgen took fourth in the one mile run in 5:38, and sophomore Hannah Kinzer took fourth in the three kilometer race in 11:31.
The men’s side was highlighted by some top finishes in the three kilometer run. Senior Cam Davies had the top finish overall for the Viking men with a second place finish and a time of 9:06. Davies was closely followed by freshman Josh Janusiak in third in 9:07, scoring valuable team points for the Vikings. “I think individually we had some really good success,” reflects Fuelling. “We had a chance to test ourselves and all did well.”
Moving forward, the team looks to continue to improve and prepare for the conference meet at the end of the season. “As a team goal, we’re looking to get to the top,” said Fuelling. With only one meet left before conference, the Vikings have one more effort to hit their best times for seeding for the indoor championship meet. Next week, Lawrence will return to UW-Steven’s Point to test themselves against more UW teams as well as conference competitors.