EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The day may have been gloomy, but the student-athletes could not be stopped from claiming their mark at the 2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championship at Simpson Field today.

The nine-team field is currently led by Oshkosh with a total of 30 points. Whitewater is in second with 26 points, while La Crosse sits in third with 25. Stevens Point has 17.50 for a fourth place finish, while Eau Claire is in fifth with 16.50. Platteville has 16 for a sixth place spot and Stout has 10 with for seventh. River Falls is currently in eighth with a total of nine points, while Superior has only scored six for a ninth place spot.

UW-Eau Claire's Al Oleson took the top spot in the hammer throw today with a distance of 183-10, an NCAA Division III provisional qualifying mark. Whitewater's Ryan Howell and Shaun Davis took second and third, respectively, with distances of 174-02 and 172-06.

Taking first in the pole vault was Stout's Daniel Drewek with a height of 16-0 ?, while La Crosse's Alex Tapplin took second with an identical height, an NCAA Division III provisional qualifying mark. Stevens Point's Daniel Swan finished in third with a height of 15-01.

In the 4x800-meter relay, Oshkosh took home first place with a time of 7:43.78. Whitewater finished in second just behind the Titans with a time of 7:43.81. Superior came in third with a 7:46.49.

A number of men's preliminary events were finished today so Saturday the competitors will race in the finals. The finals of the 10,000-meter run, javelin and long jump were also pushed back because of poor weather conditions and will be held Saturday morning. The final day of the championships will begin at 8:30 a.m.

WIAC Track and Field Championship Website

- KM -