ROCHESTER – The Milwaukee women's track & field team won the Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championship today for the eighth time in program history, scoring 193.5 points as a team and completing the sweep of the indoor and outdoor championships.
 
"I am extremely proud of our women for not getting complacent after the indoor title and working even harder to get the outdoor crown," head coach Andrew Basler said. "This is not a one and done championship year for our ladies. Our staff, current athletes, and alumni have put in a lot of work, sacrifice, and dedication the last five years to lay the foundation for sustained success. We will continue to push the bar high with the expectation each year of Horizon League Championships."
 
Basler was named Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Women's Coach of the Year after the team secured the championship victory, earning the award for the second straight year.
 
Natalie Block took the top spot in the 400m hurdles, smashing the Horizon League Championship record and breaking the school record again in the process. She finished the race in 57.51 seconds, winning by nearly five seconds and recording the 31^st fastest time in the country. Leah Handshoe finished fourth in the race with a time of 1:03.73.
 
Block also took first in the 100m hurdles, where she recorded a time of 13.27 seconds, setting a new championship record. Kynnedi Malone grabbed third in the race with a 13.63, the second fastest time in program history. Anna Szepieniec finished fourth with a time of 14.01, tying for fifth-fastest all time, and Cloey Fare finished seventh in 14.39 seconds.
 
Following her performance at the meet, Block was named the conference's Outstanding runner of the Meet. Szepieniec was named the Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, repeating the award from indoor season.
 
"Day three had a lot of awesome performances," Basler commented. "Our short hurdlers showed out and almost swept that event. After claiming the 100m hurdles title, Natalie came back to PR in the 400m hurdles with an impressive time."
 
Anelise Egge grabbed the crown in the 1500m, winning the race in 4:35.23. She was joined by Cailin Kinas in seventh with a time of 4:40.88. Egge also took second in the 800m with a time of 2:12.87, where she was joined by Rachel Helm in fourth. Helm's time earned her the eighth spot on Milwaukee's top ten list.
 
"Anelise ran a great double to win the 1500m and claim runner up in the 800m," Basler said.
 
The 4x100m relay team of Fare, Malone, Isabel Roloff, and Vanessa Laundrie took second with a time of 46.72, tying for fourth on Milwaukee's all-time list.
 
A trio of Panthers scored in the triple jump, led by Oliva Busch in third with a distance of 11.85m (38'10.5"). Busch's mark earns her the tenth spot on Milwaukee's all-time list. Following closely behind in fourth and fifth were Morgan Pilate and Adaline Powell, turning in marks of 11.74m (38'6.25") and 11.58m (38').
 
"Olivia did well to follow up her third place finish in the javelin on Friday with a PR jump to claim third in the triple jump," Basler commented.
 
Olivia VanZeeland cleared a height of 1.63m (5'4.25") in the high jump to secure a third place finish. Macy Woodward also scored in the event, placing sixth at a height of 1.60m (5'3").
 
"Like during the indoor championship, I felt Olivia and Macy stepped up in the high jump to claim important team points," Basler continued.
 
Katie Burns placed third in the 400m, finishing in 56.48 seconds. Handshoe joined her in the race, finishing seventh with a time of 57.34.
 
Samantha Satterfield earned fourth place in the hammer throw with a distance of 49.73m (163'2"), and the 4x400m relay team of Burns, Handshoe, Kortnie Volk, and Aubrey Anderson placed fourth with a time of 3:51.99.
 
Isabel Roloff was the final Panther to score on the day, finishing eighth in the 100m with a time of 12.18.
 
The Panthers' team score of 193.5 marks their highest point total since 2010 when they scored 217 points to win the championship.
 
"It's been a long but successful year for our program," Basler said. "We still have a last chance opportunity next week for a handful of people to compete. After that, we turn our attention to the NCAA West Prelims. We currently have Natalie and Tabitha sitting in the top 48 in their events."
 
"I'd like to thank my staff of assistant coaches for their great work with our student-athletes. A big thank you goes to our support staff of strength & conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, sport psychologists, athletic academic advisors, sport nutritionists, and administrators. They work tirelessly behind the scenes so our student-athletes are the most prepared to compete at their best."
 
The NCAA West Preliminary Rounds are scheduled for May 22-25 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.