UW-L Wins NCAA Indoor Title; Riley and 1,600 Meter Relay Claim National Crowns

For Immediate Release: Saturday, March 15, 2008

Ada, Ohio – The UW-La Crosse men’s track & field team captured its 14th NCAA Division III Indoor Championship Saturday night at Ohio Northern University. The Eagles finished with 43 team points while Monmouth College was second with 33. UW-Platteville and UW-Oshkosh tied for third with 21 points while Hamilton College was fifth with 20.

The 14 national indoor titles are the most in NCAA III history. UW-L, which has now won seven of the last eight indoor titles, has captured a nation-leading 25 national championships overall (14 indoor, 11 outdoor). It is the first career track & field title for interim head coach Don Fritsch. Fritsch has led the UW-L men's cross country squad to two NCAA III titles (2001, 2005).

UW-L's Bobby Riley won the shot put title Saturday (55-7) for the second straight year after placing seventh in 2006. He becomes the third athlete in Division III history to win at least two indoor shot put championships, joining UW-L's Terry Strouf (1986, 1987, 1988) and Concordia-Moorhead's Aaron Banks (1995, 1996).

The Eagles' 4x400-meter relay captured the national championship for the sixth straight year Saturday afternoon. The relay of Alex Rooker, Dylan Randolph, Jonathon Doble and David Kolbe took first for UW-L with a time of 3:19.67. It is Doble's third consecutive year on the winning 4x400-meter relay while Kolbe earned his second straight title.

Paul Zdroik placed second in the mile run (4:11.18) Saturday to earn NCAA III All-America honors. Randolph and Zdroik were both members of UW-L's second-place distance medley relay Friday.

Others earning All-America accolades Saturday for the Eagles included: Kolbe placing sixth in the 400-meter dash (49.65), Jessie Dengsavang sixth in the triple jump (47-10) and David Stauder eighth in the high jump (6-6 3/4).

Kevin Oelstrom was 10th in the 5,000-meter run (15:04.60). He was also on the second-place distance medley relay Friday.

For complete results, click here.

UW-L opens its outdoor season Saturday, April 5 at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational.