YOUNGSTOWN – Milwaukee track & field won the women's distance medley relay for the second year in a row at the Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Championships. Both Milwaukee's men's and women's teams sit in third after day one of competition.
 
The women's distance medley relay team of Eileen Tocco, Kortnie Volk, Ally Schmitz, and Cailin Kinas topped the podium with a time of 12:02.90, the third fastest in Milwaukee history. The win marks the second straight year that Milwaukee has topped the podium in the event.
 
Anna Szepieniec put together a strong performance in the pentathlon, earning second with a total score of 3610, the fourth highest in Milwaukee history. Szepieniec finished third or better in three of the five events, winning the long jump with a mark of 5.80m (19'0.5"). Her mark in the long jump was good enough to set the Horizon League Championship record for the pentathlon long jump.
 
Kortnie Volk followed in fourth with a score of 3473, good enough for fifth all-time in MKE history, while Aubrie Gorski and Kallie Volk finished fifth and sixth in the event.
 
"I think we're in a very good place after day one," head coach Andrew Basler said. "Youngstown State threw some punches, which we knew they would do, and I think we set the table really well for some big points tomorrow."
 
Anthony Campbell earned a second-place finish in the men's long jump, recording a distance of 7.60m (24'11.25"). Will Mortimer, Liam Richards, and Alexander Maggit all scored in the event as well, placing sixth, seventh, and eighth.
 
The trio of Liam Richards, Jack Misky, and Tony Bretall hold the top three spots in the heptathlon after day one.
 
Richards set a new facility and HL Championship record in the heptathlon 60m dash with a winning time of 7.09 seconds, then followed that up with a leap of 7.05m in the heptathlon long jump, earning him the ninth spot on Milwaukee's all-time list.
 
Misky set a new facility and HL Championship record in the heptathlon shot put with a 14.33m (47'0.25") throw, while also clearing 1.88m (6'2") to win the heptathlon high jump.
 
Kortnie Volk and Nadia Vo scored for the Panthers in the women's long jump, placing sixth and seventh. Isabel Roloff and Ella Laughbaum earned points in the pole vault, finishing in sixth and eighth.
 
Cynthia Hernandez finished fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 16.66m (54'8"), and was followed by Samantha Satterfield in eighth. In the men's pole vault, Evan Bartelsen and Jack Browne scored for the Panthers, placing fifth and eighth, and Jeremiah Johnson took sixth in the men's weight throw.
 
Multiple Panthers put together strong performances in their preliminary heats to qualify for tomorrow's final heats.
 
Natalie Block, Kynnedi Malone, and Cloey Fare qualified for the 60m hurdles, as Block set a new facility and HL Championship record with an 8.26 second mark. Malone ran an 8.54, improving on her program-second-best time.
 
Dominique Thomas was the lone qualifier in the women's 60m dash, running a 7.46. Thomas also qualified for the 200m final along with Malone. Block, Katie Burns, and Leah Handshoe qualified for the women's 400m dash, and Burns' time of 57.20 puts her at ninth on Milwaukee's top ten list.
 
Golden Cotton and EJ Kruse both qualified in the men's 60m dash. Cotton also qualified for the 200m dash along with Dane Nelson. Cotton's time of 21.54 in the 200m improves on his already second-best time in program history.
 
Chris Hudnall led a squad of four that qualified for the 60m hurdles. Nelson, Richards, and Ethan Criter will join him in the final tomorrow. Both Caleb Henry and Zac Schmidt qualified in the 400m dash.
 
Anelise Egge, Rachel Helm, and Aubrey Anderson all qualified for the women's 800m run, while Lucas Picco and Nate Griepentrog qualified on the men's side.
 
"There are a lot of points left to be had, and I think we have a good chance to grab quite a few of them in tomorrow's events," Basler commented.
 
After day one of competition, both Milwaukee teams currently sit in third. The men's team has earned 23.5 points, and is behind Oakland and Youngstown State, while the women's team has scored 44 and is behind Purdue Fort Wayne and Youngstown State. Sunday's events kick off at 8:00 a.m. with the continuation of the men's heptathlon.