MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee track & field teams are set to compete at the Horizon League Indoor Championships hosted by Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio, Saturday and Sunday.
 
The championships will be held inside the Watson and Tressel Training Site, with both days of action beginning at 8:00 a.m. CT. Saturday will kick off with the pentathlon, while Sunday will start with the heptathlon.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Panthers last competed in the Panther Tune-Up at home in the Klotsche Center. For the men, Josh Cygan had a personal-best effort in the weight throw. He turned in a 17.58-meter toss which won the event and currently ranks fourth all-time in the program record books.
 
Another winning effort came from Kyril Griffin who competed in the triple jump. Griffin cleared a personal-best 14.46 meters in the event.
 
A career-best leap was recorded by Anthony Buford in the long jump. His mark of 7.50 meters currently sits third in program history.
 
Sam Schreiber finished third in the mile run (4:15.81), securing his first Horizon League Men's Runner of the Week honor.
 
Other impressive efforts from the meet included Tyler Dahlie in the high jump (2.00 meters), Ty Bauschelt in the high jump (2.00 meters), Trevor Boyer in the pole vault (4.30 meters), and Cullen Boyle in the 3000-meter run (8:48.73).
 
For the Milwaukee women, Anna Szepieniec was a standout performer. She won the long jump, breaking her own school record with her 6.31-meter leap. She also took the top spot in the triple jump (12.45 meters) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.53).
 
Also shining in the triple jump were Nevia Levenhagen and Kallie Volk, who rounded out the podium sweep for Milwaukee. Levenhagen finished runner-up, clearing 11.72 meters, while Volk finished third, jumping 11.54 meters.
 
The Black & Gold had two top finishers in the pole vault, with Hailey Soriaga leading the charge. She won the event, soaring over 3.93 meters which ranks third in the Panther record books for the event. Emma Johnson was not far behind, turning in a 3.83-meter effort which ranks fifth in program history.
 
In the throwing events, Mercedes Herrera secured two new personal-best efforts on the day. Herrera recorded a 12.06-meter throw in the shot put, and a 15.16-meter toss in the weight throw.
 
On the track, Isabel Roloff tied her career-best 60-meter dash outing with a 7.71 effort, winning the event. Ally Schmitz secured the top spot on the podium in the 800-meter run (2:18.41) in convincing fashion, finishing more than five seconds ahead of the next runner.
 
LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
 
At last year's Horizon League Indoor Championships, the Panther men finished second, earning 127 points. Milwaukee was led by Anthony Buford who received Field Freshman of the Week honors. Buford finished second in the long jump, clearing 7.20 meters.
 
Other top Black & Gold finishes including a win for Jaelyn Reeves-Lyle in the 200-meter dash (21.82), Bryant McLaughlin in the high jump (2.01 meters), Bishop Bufford in the triple jump (13.96 meters) and Liam Richards in the heptathlon (5,125). McLaughlin earned Most Outstanding Field Performer honors at the meet for his high jump efforts.
 
On the women's side, the team finished third a season ago, turning in 123 points. Anelise Egge was honored as both the Female Athlete of the Year as well as the Most Outstanding Track Performer. Egge won the mile-run with her 4:51.98 effort.
 
Anna Szepieniec set a new Horizon League Championships record in the pentathlon, accumulating 3,864 points.
 
In the 60-meter dash, Dominique Thomas won the event, clocking a time of 7.45.
 
PANTHER TOP-10
 
The Panthers have secured 23 spots in the Panther Top-10 record books this indoor season.
-60m – Isabel Roloff – 7.71 (7th)
-200m – Anna Szepieniec – 24.68 (3rd)
-200m – Katie Burns – 24.87 (6th)
-400m – Katie Burns – 55.62 (3rd)
-400m – Leah Handshoe – 56.55 (8th)
-400m – Taylor Thimmesch – 56.71 (9th)
-400m – Ty Bauschelt – 48.49 (7th)
-600m – Lucas Picco – 1:19.81 (5th)
-800m – Rachel Helm – 2:13.03 (2nd)
-800m – Lucas Picco – 1:50.59 (4th)
-800m – Karsten Grundahl – 1:52.26 (9th)
-Mile Run – Rachel Helm – 4:58.48 (6th)
-60m Hurdles – Anna Szepieniec – 8.45 (2nd)
-60m Hurdles – Victoria Spagnola – 8.68 (7th)
-4x400 Relay – Evtimov, Thimmesch, Burns, Handshoe – 3:48.06 (1st)
-High Jump – Kallie Volk – 1.70m (T-5th)
-Pole Vault – Hailey Soriaga – 3.93m (3rd)
-Pole Vault – Emma Johnson – 3.83m (5th)
-Long Jump – Anna Szepieniec – 6.31m (1st)
-Long Jump – Nevia Levenhagen – 6.18m (2nd)
-Long Jump – Anthony Buford – 7.50m (3rd)
-Triple Jump – Anna Szepieniec – 12.45m (5th)
-Weight Throw – Josh Cygan – 17.58m (4th)
 
SOARING SZEPIENIEC
 
Anna Szepieniec shattered the Panther program record in the long jump at the 13th annual Tierney Classic. Her leap of 6.30 meters bested the previous record of 6.06 meters set by Samia Taylor in 2013. Szepieniec then bested the effort at the Panther Tune-Up, clearing 6.31 meters. She holds the top spot in the Horizon League for the event and has received Horizon League Women's Field Athlete of the Week twice for her efforts this season.
 
A SEASON THAT BURNS BRIGHT
 
Katie Burns has turned it up a notch during senior campaign. Burns currently ranks in the Horizon League top ten for the 400-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and the 4x400 relay.
 
THE FANTASTIC FOUR
 
The team of Victoria Evtimov, Taylor Thimmesch, Katie Burns, and Leah Handshoe broke the 4x400 relay program record at Notre Dame's Meyo Invitational with their 3:48.06 effort, besting the previous record of 3:48.88 set in 2015 by A. Okonkwo, Clausen, Garner, and Novacek.