GENEVA, Ohio — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's track and field team finished as national runner-up at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships on Saturday at SPIRE Institute. The Blugolds claimed the second-place trophy for the fifth time in program history.
UW-Eau Claire finished with a team score of 56, which ranks as the fourth-highest score in program history at the outdoor national championships. UW-La Crosse won the national title with a score of 84.
The Blugolds have now finished in the top six in each of the last six NCAA Outdoor Championships. In that span, they've placed first or second four times.
The final day of the meet saw UW-Eau Claire earn six first team All-America honors. The Blugolds' top finish came in hammer throw, where
Yakob Ekoue (Sr. - Hopkins, Minn.) placed third to bring his career total to 13 All-America honors. He was an All-American in all three events he competed in over the weekend, including winning a national title in discus. His 13 career All-America honors puts him in the top 10 all-time among Division III competitors in that category.
Sam Verkerke (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.) became a two-time All-American in the 1,500-meter run by placing fifth in the event Saturday. He was the national champion in 2022. His Saturday time was 3:50.27.
Stefan Klechefski (Sr. - Roberts, Wis./River Falls) earned the second All-America honor of his career in the 100-meter dash by placing sixth. He clocked in at 10.47 seconds.
Blake Postler (Fr. - Weston, Wis./D.C. Everest) earned the first outdoor All-America honor of his career by placing fifth in the 400-meter hurdles. He finished in 52.71 seconds.
Johnny Botsch (Fr. - Brookfield, Wis./East) also became a first-time All-American by taking seventh in pole vault with a height of 4.95 meters.
The Blugolds' 4x100-meter relay of
Jackson Schulz (Fr. - Sussex, Wis./Arrowhead),
Colin McClowry (Sr. - Neenah, Wis.),
Connor Jankuski (Jr. - Glenbeulah, Wis./Plymouth) and Klechefski took seventh place to earn All-America status. They finished in 40.94 seconds.
Mason Shea (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) also competed Saturday for the Blugolds. He finished 21st in the 5,000-meter run.
Across the three-day meet, the Blugold men had two national champions and 13 first team All-America performances.
