The Wisconsin women's track team earned its highest finish since 2000, placing fourth with 69 1'2 points, and senior Katrina Rundhaug captured the individual title in the 5000 meters this weekend in Minneapolis.
Minnesota won the meet at home with 136 point, and Michigan came in a close second with 128 points followed by Penn State at 121 points.
We're making some progress in a lot of different areas, and we're scoring in a lot of different areas,"" head coach Jim Stintzi said. ""It's a step in the right direction. I think it means we're doing some things right, our athletes are competing really well over two days.""
For her conference win, Rundhaug cracked the 16 minute barrier in the 5k, running a time of 15:57. This time puts her third in the NCAA and third all-time for Wisconsin.
""She led almost start to finish and just kind of laid the gauntlet down and forced everybody to go with her,"" Stintzi said. ""She ran a great race, and I think it's just a little taste of what she can do.""
Rundhaug put up an additional two points for Wisconsin by placing seventh in the 3000 meters, running 9:24.
Junior Jenny Soceka tied with Purdue's Mallory Peck for Big Ten runner-up in the pole vault, clearing an NCAA provisional height of 13 feet, 3 1'2 inches.
Senior Ann Detmer also medaled, placing third in the mile in 4:44. Junior Gwen Jorgensen finished seventh in 4:48.50. Both times were fast enough to make the NCAA provisional cutoff.
The distance medley relay consisting of Sarah Hurley, Caitlin Dodge, Detmer and Jorgensen finished third with an NCAA provisional time of 11:30.11, just two-tenths of a second behind Minnesota.
In the 20-pound weight throw, junior Amanda Hoeppner earned fourth place and topped her own school record by over two feet, throwing 59 feet, 11 1'4 inches.
Hoeppner also threw 49-0 1/4 in the shot put for sixth place, with senior teammate Kayla Shultz close behind at seventh for throwing 48-6 3/4.
Junior Nicole Slaby scored three points for Wisconsin in the 600 meters by running 1:32.46 for sixth place.
Kaitlyn Marsolek, Akaila Cabell, Dodge and Egle Staisiunaite went 3:50.29 together in the 4-by-400-meter relay for sixth place.
Junior Chavon Robinson placed fourth in the long jump with a mark of 19 feet 9 3'4 inches and jumped 40-11 for fifth in the triple jump.
Carly Ducharme and Lindsey Biel came in fifth and sixth in the pentathlon, scoring 3,753 and 3,692 points, respectively.
Finally, in the high jump, junior Megan Seidl placed fifth with a 5-7 jump. Carrie Woltman jumped 5-5 1'4 to tie with Indiana's Ashley Rhoades for eight place to score a half point and prevent UW from earning an even 69 points.
Athletes that have yet to make an NCAA nationals qualifying mark will get one more shot at the ""last chance meet"" in Notre Dame March 14-15.
- uwbadgers.com
contributed to this report.
