The UW-Platteville track and field team is focusing on their fitness in training to keep a steady pace as they look ahead to nationals on Thursday, March 11.

Photograph by Anthony Bauer


Tim Dahms, senior, ran distance in the UW-Platteville Invite on Feb. 13. The Pioneers will host the WIAC Championships on Saturday, Feb. 26.

“We have had multiple people and a relay team qualify for nationals, which is a great accomplishment,” said Megan Bruckschen, sophomore engineering major.

Practices have consisted of a variety of workouts and the coaches try to have workouts that are specific to the needs of each athlete.

“Now, practices are used to sharpen and get ready for nationals,” said head coach Jim Nickash. “We need to go faster, with less volume, and be prepared.”

Bruckschen, a high jumper, practices jumps twice a week. He also does circuit training for conditioning, as well as abdominal work and lifting daily. As a thrower, sophomore mathematics major Brianna Luebke does a half-mile run as a warm up, followed by stretching. As a team, they follow-up with drills, including one that consists of the team getting in a circle and throwing. The throwers then go to the weight room and complete a list of lifts that the coaches give to them.

“We know how to apply practices to the levels of the athletes,” said Nickash. “We shift things around when there’s an injury or something so the athletes are ready. The main thing is to have the athletes healthy.”
While most students at UW-P are trying to stay in the warm indoors, the distance runners of the team are outside, running daily, regardless of the weather conditions.

“You never hear complaints [from the runners],” said Nickash. “It’s what they have to do.”

“The practices help to work on fine tuning technique aspects of the event that will help improve overall performance,” said Bruckschen. “A big part for the high jumpers was that, with the new track surface, we can now practice with spikes in our shoes. That definitely improved our ability to run a consistent approach.”
“Throwing in practice helps me to feel more confident in the circle when we are competing,” said Luebke.

The Eastbay Pointer Invite on Feb. 20 helped fine-tune things for the track and field team.

The UW-P women placed third in the 800-meter run, 1600-meter run, 4×400 meter relay and long jump. Becky Kempfert placed second in the 1600 with a time of 5:23.29. Kristy Curry placed third in the 800 with a time of 2:23.01.

The UW-P men finished third in the 4×200 meter relay. Jared Bradfish finished fourth in the pole vault and Ben Farrell finished fourth in the 400-meter dash.

UW-P will host the WIAC Championships on Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27.