LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Milwaukee women's track & field squad traveled to La Crosse, Wis., to compete in the Ashton May Invite hosted by UW-La Crosse Friday.
 
"In less-than-ideal weather conditions, I thought the group that came to La Crosse competed well," said head coach Andrew Basler. "They did not let heavy rain and cooler temperatures deter them from giving their best effort."
 
"On the track, Anna Szepieniec and Brooke Crosby had great races in the 100 hurdles," Basler said. "In the 800-meter run, senior Rachel Helm and freshman Lauren Ripley had strong showings to finish in the top five. Katie Burns ran a great 200-meter dash as the temperatures dropped in the upper 30s. She has a great chance to break 24 in the right conditions.
 
The Panthers saw success in the 100-meter dash, sending three athletes to the finals.  Burns found a spot on the podium, finishing third with a 12.49 outing. Isabel Roloff and Angelica Refinski also raced in the finals, recording fifth (12.79) and sixth place (12.81) finishes, respectively.
 
Crosby came away with the 100-meter hurdle title, running a 14.79 in the finals. In the prelims of the event, Szepieniec recorded the top time with her 13.87 effort, with Crosby right on her heels (14.32).
 
Burns also competed in the 200-meter dash, winning the event with her time of 24.52.  The outing for Burns ranks her 10th in the Panther top 10 record books for the event. Refinski ended runner-up (25.59) and Taylor Thimmesch turned in a fourth place (25.70) effort as well.
 
The Black & Gold had a pair of runners in the top-five of the 800-meter run, with Helm leading the charge. She finished second with her 2:17.21 effort, while Ripley ended fourth with a time of 2:17.77.
 
"I thought Nevia Levenhagen competed really well considering the conditions," added Basler. "She jumped an outdoor best to claim the victory. Olivia VanZeeland looked a little bit more like herself in high jump, claiming the win. In pole vault, I thought all the ladies performed well today. Emma Johnson jumped really well to finish as a top vaulter."
 
In the long jump, Levenhagen's 5.72-meter leap earned her the top spot on the podium. Also competing in the event was Lauren Wickus, who turned in a 5.32-meter effort which was good for eighth place.
 
VanZeeland came home with the high jump title, clearing 1.71 meters in the event. Macy Woodward and Alexandria Simmons also finished in the top-10, both clearing 1.58 meters.
 
In the pole vault, Johnson finished third, clearing 3.77 meters which ranks sixth in the program records for the event. Hailey Soriaga was the next top finisher for Milwaukee, jumping 3.62 meters.
 
Hallie Hoger was the top Panther finisher in the 5000-meter run, crossing the line seventh with her 18:23.76 effort. Isabella Switalski ran a career-best time in the event, running a 18:25.81.
 
Winning the 400-meter dash was Victoria Spagnola, crossing the line in 1:03.93.
 
The team of Burns, Roloff, Refinski, and Victoria Evtimov won the 4x100-meter relay title, crossing the line in 46.91.
 
In the 1500-meter run, Janiyah Taylor was the first Milwaukee athlete to complete the event. The freshman clocked a time of 4:54.95.
 
"Next week, will be traveling a small group to Duke University, with the remainder of the team staying home and competing at the Marquette Invitational," concluded Basler.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Panthers look ahead to a pair of meets next week, with select athletes competing in the Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C., while other athletes will stay in Milwaukee, Wis., for the Marquette Invitational.